Concrete Hearts
by HardyBoyz4Eva
Summary: Chris/Phil AU. Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart. Please Review!
1. Introduction

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, etc.

**Part:** 1/? – Introduction

**OOOO**

"…_you don't want me, maybe you never did. I just don't know, Phil, because you don't let me in. You never let anyone in. All we see is what you want us to see, but I want to know more. You hold the world at a distance because you're afraid you'll be hurt. You don't really live. You hide. And I refuse to be with a coward…"_

A coward? Phil scoffed at that. As if he hadn't heard that mantra a thousand-and-one times. His father had called him a coward, the school bullies had called him a coward, and now Beth could be counted amidst their ranks. Truthfully, Phil never believed that Beth would turn out to be such a bitch. At first, he had seen her as the ideal woman. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tall and curvaceous, and New York bred. What more could he have asked for? They had only been an item for nine months, but Phil had been so sure that she was the one. That was, of course, until she blew off his baby sister's rehearsal dinner to blow all of his money at the mall.

Not that Phil was down in the actual church, either. No, the tattooed ravenette sat on the floor of one of the Sunday School rooms on the second floor of the church. The truth was: he didn't really want to be here. He couldn't stand the little brat that Selene had decided to make her husband, and, as far as he could tell, the brat would rather he rot in hell. And while they would act civil (or _try_ to act civil) whenever Selene was around, any other time they would rather be on different planets… preferably in different solar systems. Phil loved his little sister to death, but she had the _worst_ taste in men since their mother had married their alcoholic father.

There was a short knock on the door. Phil didn't tell them to come in, because it wasn't his room. The door creaked obnoxiously as it opened, before his baby sister walked inside. "Phil? Why are you up here all by yourself?"

Phil shook his head. "Apparently, when Beth went to the mall today, she found a new man willing to let her bleed him dry. She called to let me know that it was over."

"Oh, Phil…" Selene fell down to her knees beside her older brother, not caring that it dirtied her white stockings. Now, her brother's welfare was all that mattered. "I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry, Selene. I'm not upset about it." Phil denied.

Selene smirked. "I can see that. Is that why your eyes are filled with tears?"

Shocked, Phil raised a hand to his face. Almost as if they had been cued, hot, crystalline tears started to trace down his reddened cheeks. Frantically, he scrubbed at the tears with the back of his hand. When he started to irritate the skin to the point where it blistered, Selene reached out and took hold of his wrist. Wide olive eyes turned to her uncertainly as she tenderly lowered his hand to his side. And then she took a handkerchief out of her pocket and dabbed at the slowly flowing tears. Selene had a much steadier hand then he did, and her touch comforted him. Soon, the tears stilled entirely.

"I'm sorry." Phil said as he looked down at his hands. "This is _your_ day. You shouldn't have to worry about your older brother. Go back downstairs and have fun with Mike."

Selene smirked. "You don't have to pretend like you like him, Phil." Phil looked shocked for a minute, before he relaxed considerably. "And you're allowed to be upset about it, Phil. You really loved her."

"Yeah." Phil looked down so that Selene couldn't see the look on his face. "I did."

"C'mon." Selene smacked his shoulder carefully. "How about we head over to Blockbuster and rent _The Dark Knight_? I know about your secret mancrush on Heath Ledger…" Selene taunted.

Phil pretended to be hurt. "Who _couldn't_ love that man? He was drop-dead gorgeous, especially when he was blowing shit sky-high. But, you know, you can't watch that movie without _ice-cream_."

"Rocky Road?" Selene offered.

"You know it."

**OOOO**

Chris Irvine walked around Blockbuster looking for the ever elusive _Barbie and the Twelve Dancing Princesses_. He had his three children for the week and he had promised that he would watch _all_ of the Barbie movies… and _Cars_ movies… and just about every show on Disney and Nickelodeon. Their week was so packed that he wasn't sure that they would have time to sleep. And Jessica would just love that. Another item to add to the list of reasons why he was a horrible father. He knew that she was just waiting for the day when she could file for full custody of the children and move as far away from him as she could…

He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't see the slightly smaller man come around the corner, and in the end, crashed into him full force. The man let out a surprised little noise as he stumbled back and fell flat on his rump. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Chris looked down and his heart flew up into his throat. A clearly agitated ravenette looked at him through narrowed olive eyes. Colorful tattoos peeked out from the lowered collar of the man's white button down shirt, and the silver curve of a lip ring was visible when he tilted his head back. Quite simply put, the man was drop-dead gorgeous.

"I'm so sorry." Chris extended his hand to the smaller man, but he shook it off.

"It's fine." Phil said as he climbed to his feet. "Just… watch where you're going next time, okay?"

And with that, the ravenette walked away.

**OOOO**

**A/N:** The People's Choice Summer Fic! I hope you enjoyed and please take the time to review. Special thanks to LadyDragonsblood for plot inspiration.


	2. A Formal Introduction

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, etc.

**Part:** 2/? – A Formal Introduction

**OOOO**

**LATER THAT NIGHT**

Selene stood in front of the microwave, her calm olive eyes fixed on the calculated rotations of the container of popcorn as each kernel exploded in a burst of wonderful, buttery flavor. While Phil didn't often cosset himself with fatty foods and other delicacies that were likely to make his heart burst in a nanosecond, Selene wasn't about to take 'no' for an answer. Her brother was in need of comfort food. And while she wasn't a five-star chef, popcorn she could handle. The timer screeched. Their snack was done.

"_Selene_," Phil called from the den. "The movie is about to start. Where're my damn snacks?"

Selene rolled her eyes as she fixed two small bowls. "If you weren't so lazy and made your own damn popcorn, we wouldn't have this issue, would we?"

"I'm not lazy. I'm _smart_." Phil countered. "I knew that you knew that I would eat all of the popcorn if we shared a container. This way, you know how much you're in for."

"You're out of your mind, oh brother of mine." Selene said softly.

"You a psychiatrist now?" Phil asked, before he took a buttery treat from her bowl and popped it into his mouth. She shot him a look, and he smiled at her.

"If I was, I would have shipped you off to the crazy farm by now."

Phil smirked. "I could room with the Joker. Seriously, Selene – that would be the _nicest_ thing that you ever did for me. I'm totally serious. He's _hot_…"

Selene snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. "The movie is about to start, genius."

Silence fell over the room as the movie started. In the first scene, the Joker robbed a bank in Gotham City, killing not only all of the people that worked therein, but also his own goons. Selene had never been one for violence, but _comic book_ violence? That was an entirely different story. Her eyes were glued to every blood second that crossed their gigantic flat screen television, with surround sound that would have football lovers in Super Bowl season in pig heaven. It had been Phil's treat with his Christmas bonus.

They only made it about halfway, maybe three-quarters of the way into the movie, when Selene rested her head on her older brother's shoulder and started to doze off. Normally, Phil would take offense to that. It was, after all, their favorite movie. But she had had an eventful week, and on top of that she was getting married in two days. He didn't blame her for being exhausted. Phil took it as an opportunity to take heaping handfuls of popcorn out of her bowl, which was barely half-empty, and add it to his own.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Phil sighed. It was his favorite part too! "I'll be there in a second!" He called, before he shoved his sister off of him and set the bowls of popcorn on the table.

When he was finally able to answer the door, he was surprised to find himself face-to-face with the man he had run into (literally) at Blockbuster. "Hi. I'm Chris Irvine. I live on the second floor."

Chris extended his hand and Phil shook it. "The name's Phil Brooks. Nice to meet you… I think. Listen, if you're here to complain about the noise -,"

Chris cut him off. "No. No. It's not that at all."

"Not to be rude or anything, but why _are_ you here?" Phil asked.

Chris nodded. It was obvious that he had disturbed the smaller man. "I was just wondering if you had seen a stuffed, dark green dinosaur toy. My son thinks he dropped it somewhere around here and he can't sleep without it."

Phil smirked. "Actually, I _have_ seen it. And, if I remember correctly, my baby sister put it… here."

A little boy bounded out from behind Chris and snatched the toy from Phil's tattooed hand. He was rather cute, with a bowl cut of bright blond hair that reminded Phil of his own days as a blond and bright blue eyes. In fact, he looked a lot like his father. The little boy flashed him the most thankful smile that he had seen on _anyone_ in all of his thirty-three years. Phil could tell from the way that the child cradled the toy that he loved it dearly. Kind of like Phil's stuffed mouse, Greck, which he used to put in his sister's bed when they were little. It was still funny to think back on.

"Thank you, Mr. Brooks." The boy said sweetly.

"You're welcome, kid." Phil said.

"So," Chris started off. "Who should I complain to about the noise?"

Phil smirked evilly. It kind of unsettled Chris. "That would be Jason Reso, Adam Copeland, and Jeff Hardy. They live down the hall, next to the elevators. They're at it like bunnies from sunset to sunrise."

Chris' eyes widened a little bit. "Thanks."

"Oh, and if you don't want to confront them face-to-face, hit the ceiling with a broom. Adam _will_ fall face first off the bed and refuse to have," here Phil looked at the little boy, "relations for a week. It's wonderful."

"I'll definitely take that under consideration. Thanks for the advice." Chris said.

"Anytime." Phil answered, before he watched the tawny blond walk away.

Phil yawned, suddenly extremely drained. He stalked back to the couch and crashed, careful to avoid his baby sister's outstretched legs. It seemed as if she had conquered the entire sofa in his absence. Not too subtly, he almost shoved her off of the couch as he resumed play. The surround sound flooded around him full-force, and he relaxed back into the cushions. When his sister sat up agitatedly, rubbing at her eyes and complaining about the noise, Phil smirked. He had to deal with her screaming as a baby. Payback is a bitch.

**THE NEXT DAY**

"It's horrible, Phil!" Jeff exclaimed as he crashed on his best friend's couch, a plate of eggs and bacon in hand. Jay still slaved over the oven. He was the only one that could cook, after all.

"What's the matter now?" Phil asked, still a little tired. He had watched the movie three times and, in the end, had only slept for an hour or so.

"Adam refuses to have sex!" Jeff screamed. "Some bastard hit the ceiling with… a broom, I think, it doesn't really matter… and complained about the noise. Adam was so mortified that he locked himself in the closet!"

Phil almost choked on his food. "That's… that's too bad."

Jay came into the den with a plate of food in hand. "So, where's your sister?"

"She's out on a date with Mike. Apparently, it's this extremely special occasion because this is the last time that she can see him before the wedding. The fact that we had plans before, however, doesn't matter. _Mickey's_ all that matters." Phil spat out.

"Do I sense a bit of hostility for your future brother-in-law?" Jeff asked sarcastically.

"Seriously, we know that you don't like Mike." Jay said. "But this is a new level of hatred. Did something happen?" When Phil continued to be silent, Jay frowned. "C'mon, what shoved the stick up your ass?"

"Beth broke up with me." Phil admitted softly.

"Aww… that's a shame, Philly. We know how much you liked her." Jeff slapped his shoulder comfortingly.

"But that's not it." Phil continued.

Jeff raised a dark eyebrow. "Then, what's the matter?"

"I met this guy at Blockbuster, right? And he's totally hot. I don't _feel_ for him or anything, it's _purely_ physical attraction. But, as far as I know, he has a son and is most likely married. Why does life always screw me over?" Phil sulked.

It didn't shock Jay and Jeff in the least for Phil to admit his attraction for another man. Both had known for several years that Phil was bi, but he was mainly interested in women. However, he had dated other men on three or four occasions. It had never progressed into anything sexual, or at least that Phil was willing to admit. Usually, the two would have dinner and few times, maybe kiss once or twice. But ever since he met Beth, it seemed as if that side of him had been stifled. At least, that was how it had seemed to the naked eye.

Phil wasn't ashamed of the fact that he was bisexual. He had a need to be dominated that couldn't be fulfilled with women. He blamed it on his twisted childhood with his abusive alcoholic of a father. Because his father was always in control, even when he wasn't, Phil often found it was easier to hand over his control then to fight for it back. But even with that domination, he knew that he had emotional scars on his soul which would never heal. He had forgiven his father, because that was what his _father_ had needed. Phil was still a little boy that needed his father.

"What does he look like?" Jeff asked finally. Even if it wasn't the best question, it broke the awkward silence that had swallowed the room.

"I don't know." Phil said. "Blond hair, blue eyes…"

"What is it about you and men and women with blond hair and blue eyes?" Jay asked, shaking his head slowly.

"It is a problem, isn't it?" Phil's characteristic smirk was back. But before he could continue, his phone rang again. He looked at the Caller ID. It was Beth. "If you'll excuse me for a minute. I have to take this."

Jay and Jeff waved him off as the ravenette made his way into the back. Phil entered the first bedroom that he came to, thankful that it was his, and closed and locked the door behind him. He really didn't want to be disturbed in the middle of what was bound to be a rather embarrassing phone call. Olive eyes stared down at his screen one last time. The familiar song from Beth's gymnastics routine played loud and fast. That was what he had loved so much about her. She let it all out and didn't hold back. Maybe that was what hurt so much in the end…

"Hello." Phil answered finally.

"_Phil? Finally, I reach you instead of your damn voicemail!"_ Beth seethed. _"Do you know how worried I was about you? What am I supposed to think when you don't call or text me in over twenty-four hours?"_

Phil frowned. "Didn't you break up with me?"

He heard Beth's breath hitch. Oh dear God, no. Not the tears. _"Are you trying to tell me that you want to break up with me, Philly? Because, if you do, then I understand. I'm a horrible, horrible girlfriend."_

Now, he could hear her crying full force. He cursed fluently under his breath. He was a man of many talents – comforting distressed women was not one of them. "You're not a _horrible_ girlfriend."

Immediately, she brightened. _"Then you still love me?"_

"Seriously, did you just have an AJ moment?" Phil asked.

"_Seriously, did you just compare me to your ex-girlfriend?"_ Beth hissed viciously.

Phil decided not to comment on that. Instead, he changed the subject. "Then, what was with that message you left on my phone? That sounded like a break-up to me."

"_I don't want to break up with you, baby. I just want you to talk to me more so that we can work out the problems in our relationship and be happy together. I want you to open up and tell me about your father."_ Beth said.

"Yeah, about that… I'm not really comfortable -,"

Beth cut him off. _"Oh, my trainer is here. We have work to do if I want to be ready for the London Olympics. Hopefully, I'll see you soon baby. I love you!"_

Phil barely had time to say 'I love you too' before she hung up.

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	3. A Job Offer

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, etc.

**Part:** 3/? – A Job Offer

**OOOO**

Phil was a hunter by nature. He had an entire collection of rifles for those rare occasions where he could head out to the country for the weekend undisturbed, which weren't to be touched otherwise. When Beth ended the call, he tossed his I-Phone onto the mattress and made a beeline for the case. It was about time he had a vacation, after all. Especially if he didn't want to murder that little brat Mike Mizanin before he made it to the altar. He unlocked the case and took out his three favorite rifles, before he slid the belts over his shoulder.

He stalked back out into the den and tossed a rifle at Jay and Jeff. The safeties were on, so he didn't have to worry about an accidental shot that would blow a hole in his wall. Jeff let out an indignant shout as he quickly moved his plate of eggs and bacon out of the line of fire. Phil thrummed his fingers on the back of the couch in an agitated manner. Right now, all he wanted was to be out on the open road. Maybe he would bring back a choice animal and earn some extra money to buy his sister the new red Acer Notebook that she wanted.

"C'mon. It's time to hit the road. Maybe by the time that we come back Adam will have come out of the closet…" Phil marched toward the door, his car keys in hand.

"B-But… I didn't even finish my breakfast." Jeff stuttered out sadly.

"It doesn't matter." Phil said. "We'll order some breakfast in the Drive-Thru on the way."

"Fine." Jeff huffed, before Jay and Jeff followed him outside.

**THE IRVINE RESIDENCE**

"_I heard it all, Chris. You think that your little tryst with Evan Bourne would go by, totally unnoticed? I'll drag your name through the fucking mud. At the end of this, you'll be lucky if your children even know you exist."_ Jess hissed.

Chris stared down at the bottle of vodka in his hand. He hadn't cracked the lid yet, but he was tempted. "You can't do that to me, Jessica. You know how much these children mean to me."

He could almost _hear_ Jessica frown. _"Yeah, well, you should've thought of that before you cheated on me."_

"How many times do I have to say this, Jess?" Chris exclaimed exasperatedly. "I _didn't_ cheat on you. I would _never_ cheat on you. You and these children are my world! Please, don't do this to me."

Jess was silent for a minute, before she hissed, "_Watch me_."

Chris leaned back on the far wall, a small tremor of fear wracking his body as Jessica hung up on him. Really, his brief encounter with Evan had been nothing. Chris was the lead singer in a well-known rock band and Evan was one of his back-up dancers. As usual, the media made it out to be ten times worse than it actually was. In the heat of the moment, the two had shared a brief kiss in front of a live audience. The crowd had absolutely loved it, but Jessica hadn't. A week later she had filed for divorce.

Chris knew that he liked women, but he had to admit that Evan was cute – adorable, almost. Not that he would ever admit that out loud. He may have considered himself borderline bisexual, but he had never experimented and therefore would never know for sure. Evan was cute, but he wasn't truly attractive. Now, the man that Chris had run down in Blockbuster (and later visited at his apartment) was attractive. Or would a better word be 'sexy'? Maybe even 'drool-worthy hot'. Chris smirked. His mind often functioned like a love sick teen.

So, the man's name was Phil Brooks. For some reason, that name seemed oddly familiar. Chris reached for the yearbook beside him and opened it to the section labeled 'B'. Quickly, he was able to locate a Phillip Jack Brooks, who had graduated two years after him. He was rather handsome, with long blond hair and a bit of a dark beard dotting his chin. Flipping down a couple of pages, he was able to locate the 'Mosts' page. Phil and AJ Lee had been voted the cutest couple.

Chris scoffed at that. AJ was a basket case, to say the least. She had caused her ex-boyfriend, Bryan Danielson, to attack Phil in a fit of jealousy and severely hurt Phil. The attack had been brutal and had caused Phil to fail his physical, which meant that he couldn't compete on the wrestling team that year. Chris could remember seeing Phil in the halls after that. He felt awful for him, because it was more that obvious that he was still head-over-heels for AJ. Phil fell hard and fast and his heart was always broken. It made Chris want him even more…

This, of course, was when he remembered that Phil had taken classes in law enforcement at the Tech School. By the time he graduated high school, he was immediately inserted into a class at the local police academy. Phil was a trained police officer… in other words, the perfect security guard for when he was on the road. Slowly, a smirk spread over his face. Life had just handed him this wonderful opportunity, and he planned to take full advantage of it. Taking out his phone, he dialed his manager's number.

"_Hello?"_ Shawn mumbled into the phone, obviously having been awakened from sleep.

"You know how you were looking for a new security guard for my upcoming tour?" Shawn made an affirmative noise. "I've found just the man…"

**THE HUNT**

Phil has a new, most sacred rule: remember to keep all rifles at _least_ five miles away from the man known as Jeff Hardy. He studied it carefully, almost as if he had never seen one before, before he slid the safety off and fired one round off into the darkness. It hit the bark of a tree with a _thud_ and caused the leaves to ruffle noiselessly. Phil was only thankful that it hadn't been _him_ in front of that tree. Rolling his eyes, he led the two other men further into the forest. His phone started to vibrate at his hip. Second rule: shoot a hole in your cell phone before you leave the car.

But when it transferred over to voicemail and another call didn't follow immediately thereafter, Phil knew that it wasn't Beth who had suddenly decided to schedule a date for when she came back from her training. Carefully, he set his rifle against a nearby tree (thankfully, it wasn't the one that Jeff had tried to take out a few minutes earlier) and looked at the Caller ID. The number belonged to none other than Shawn Michaels, a charismatic (sometimes annoyingly so) manager for big names like the Hart family and John Cena-Orton, both musicians in their prime.

Phil answered the phone. "Hello?"

"_Is this Mr. Brooks?"_ A calm, almost amused voice asked.

"Yes, that's me." Phil said. "What do you want?"

"_Well, you certainly aren't one for pleasantries, are you? Don't worry, I'll cut to the chase. I've heard great things about you, Mr. Brooks. Your credentials are unmatched. And when I asked the precinct to send their best to me, your name was the first on that list." _Shawn said fluidly.

"Wait, I don't understand. What do you want me to do?" Phil asked, before he caught Jeff aiming for a squirrel a little too close to Phil for comfort. "Don't point that thing at me, nimrod."

"_Excuse me?" _Shawn asked, confused.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That wasn't directed at you. That was for the dumbass with the rifle." Phil shot his best friend a look. "Anyway, what was it that you were going on about?"

Shawn huffed. This man certainly needed some work done in the manners department. _"I want to offer you a job as the head of security for the world famous band, Fozzy."_

Jeff took the shot and the squirrel scurried off. "Damn it, Jeff! What did I tell you?" A mumbled 'sorry' could be heard. "Sorry about that. Anyway, I'm not sure… I love my job and I don't think I could just leave it…"

"_Well, you have time to think about it. Fozzy doesn't leave for tour until next week."_

Oh, yeah. That was a hell of a lot of time to think about it. Phil was about to respond, when another incoming call cut him off. It was Beth. Shit. "I'm sorry. If you could give me one minute…"

Phil really didn't want to talk to Beth. But what could he do? If he waited to answer it, then she would throw a fit that he would have to deal with later. Sometimes, it seemed like Beth was on an even bigger emotional rollercoaster than AJ was. Beth hated to lose and, when she did, it led to some of the most violent sex that he had ever had. Now, it was no secret that Phil liked his women (and the occasional man) on the wild side… but Beth was borderline psychotic. And _that_ freaked him out…

"Hi Beth." Phil tried to sound excited to hear from her, but the truth was that he was too emotionally drained to actually care.

"_Philly!"_ Beth exclaimed loudly. Phil flinched as his eardrum popped. _"I finished my training and I'm feeling really good about this year. But, that's not what I called to talk about. I really want to talk about 'us', y'know?"_

"Mmhmm…" Phil mumbled lowly. He was barely even listening to her.

Beth continued on, oblivious to his disinterest. _"So, I found this amazing little restaurant on the outskirts of Chicago, and I figure we can go there for dinner. It has this nice little corner where we can sit and we won't be disturbed. And it has a real kinda homey feel to it. It's the perfect place to talk about our future!"_

Phil nodded slowly. Yes, their nonexistent future. Phil wondered how he could end it without the possibility of her trying to kill him in his sleep… "Could you hold on for a second, Beth? I have someone on the other line."

Before Beth could even answer him, Phil switched back over to where Shawn was 'patiently' awaiting his return. The man was humming something terribly off key, and even if Phil didn't have the best set of pipes out there, he could tell that (what sounded like) Row, Row, Row Your Boat shouldn't be in the stratosphere. He took a deep breath, unsure if he was making the right decision. And then he heard Beth's constant bitching in the background, complaining about everything and anything. His mind was made up.

"Mr. Michaels, I do believe that you have a deal. When do you want me to come in and make this official?" Phil asked, ready to be out of this hellhole and out on the road.

"_Perfect. How about you come to my office tomorrow and you'll sign the contract?"_ Shawn asked.

"That sounds like a deal."

Shawn hung up and, a few seconds later, the address to the office came through his phone. Phil smirked. Finally, his chance at freedom. It completely slipped his mind that his sister's wedding was set for 12:00 that same day…

**OOOO**

**A/N:** I planned to post this earlier, but then I decided to make the chapter longer. So, be sure to tell me what you think! I absolutely _love_ reviews! They're my inspiration to continue writing!


	4. The Ceremony

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, etc.

**Part:** 4/? – The Ceremony

**OOOO**

**THE NEXT DAY**

Where the hell was he? Selene shifted uncomfortably in her blindingly white wedding dress, her black hair falling in a soft waterfall of curls over her exposed back. Their father was back in rehab and their mother had been in an accident when Phil and Selene were still in school, which caused her to be wheelchair bound. This, of course, had led to the decision that Phil would walk her down the aisle. But it was already 11:30 AM and her brother hadn't arrived at the church. Selene walked back and forth nervously. The minute that her brother walked through the door, she made an oath to _hurt_ him. She looked at the clock. It was now 11:35.

"Selene, calm down." Her mother ordered. "Have a seat before you wear a hole into the floor. I'm sure that your brother has his reasons for his absence. Has he called?"

Selene shook her head. "No. He hasn't called, texted, left a note… nada, zilch, zip. I can't walk down that aisle without him! Where the hell is he?"

Her mother rolled over to her, before she made her sit down on the bench in the corner of the bridal chambers. "Sweetheart, try to call him."

Selene bit down on the inside of her mouth. "What if he doesn't answer?"

"He'll answer, dear. He'll answer." Her mother assured.

Selene wasn't so sure. Ever since her brother had received that call in the middle of the rehearsal dinner, he had been different. His sarcastic remarks while they watched the movie had lost their bite, and he seemed to be lost in his mind more often than not. For the first time, she felt bad about the fact that she had so willingly tossed their plans aside for some extra time with Mike. She would have eternity with Mike, but soon she would be moving out of the apartment that she shared with her brother and out of Chicago. They couldn't have that close-knit relationship forever. She missed him already.

Selene dialed the familiar number and waited. After a moment, Phil answered. _"Hello?"_

Selene didn't spend time on pleasantries. "Where the hell are you?"

"_Um… well, I'm at the corner of First and Manor Street… and my car broke down. I should be at the church in ten minutes. I would've been there sooner, but I had a job offer that I couldn't turn down."_ Phil said.

"A job offer? But… don't you enjoy working at the precinct?" Selene asked, confused. She thought that her brother loved being a cop.

Phil was silent for a minute as the connection fluttered. _"I do. But I have to get out of this fucked-up town before Beth drives me out of my mind. It's a security job that will be for six months out of the year. We'll talk about it later."_

"B-But, what about the apartment?" Selene asked.

"_Consider that my wedding present to you and the bitch."_ Selene growled and Phil immediately backed down. _"Sorry, sorry. Anyway, I'll be there soon. Don't throw a bitch fit before I arrive."_

"Too late." Selene smirked.

True to his word, Phil arrived ten minutes later. His sister practically _mauled_ him, instantly attacking him with questions such as 'where were you' and 'what kind of security job will you be working' and 'is it safe'. Phil assured her that he would tell her all about it later, but right now she had to get married. Taking her glove-clad arm, he led her through the winding halls of the church, knowing each hallway as if it were the back of his hand. Their mother had already taken her place at the front of the church with the rest of their family. Selene mentioned only once that it was a shame that their father couldn't be there, but fell silent when the _Bridal March_ started.

The wedding was nothing short of beautiful. Each had written their own vows, which had hours of loving thought put behind them. Trembling hands slid rings onto fingers. And finally, a kiss was shared. The entire crowd of friends and family burst into applause, thankful for a ray of sunshine in the cloud of darkness that had hovered over the Brooks family ever since their father's alcoholism came to the forefront. Selene shot her brother a nervous look, but he quelled her fears with a smile. All too soon, Phil was lost to the crowd that was heading downstairs for the reception. Selene was immediately surrounded by well-wishers.

Meanwhile, Phil had found a secluded little alcove. He used it to pull out his cell phone and scroll through the messages that he had received during the ceremony. As part of his contract, he had given his cell phone number to Shawn (who would then give his number to the other members of the band) as a security precaution. He just hadn't expected Shawn to make use of it this soon. All of the messages were from Shawn, the earliest one having come in at 1:30 and the most recent at 2:15.

"_Hey, Phil. Sorry to call you so soon. I know that you said that your sister was getting married and all that. I just wanted to let you know that the band is extremely excited to meet their new Head of Security. The lead singer of the band had a reservation for two at NAM for 3:00 and wanted to know if you were available to join him…"_

Phil killed the message as his baby sister finally cut through the crowd of well-wishers, unintentionally stumbling into his little alcove. Phil looked down at the ornate Celtic watch on his wrist, which had been a gift from one of his best friends (who also happened to be the Commissioner of Police), Sheamus. When Phil's olive eyes flickered up, Selene flashed him a little smile. She looked a little worse for wear – her black hair was coming out of its flowerbed home and her gloves were missing – but she was no less beautiful.

"Phil! I've been looking _everywhere_ for you." This conversation sounded a little too familiar. "Come downstairs! I want to have a dance with my big brother."

Phil looked at the clock. It was already 2:30. "I'm sorry, Selene. I really wish that I could stay. But I have a work obligation… new job and all. You understand, don't you?"

"Yeah…" Selene said dejectedly.

"I knew you would." Phil kissed her cheek. "Love you, 'sis."

"Yeah, I love you too…"

**TWENTY MINUTES LATER**

Phil barely made it to the restaurant in time. He rushed in the front door and came to stand at the front desk, as disheveled as he could be. The waitress looked him over uncertainly. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I'm Phil Brooks." Phil announced breathlessly. "I received a call about 2:15 PM that said I was to meet someone here to introduce myself. Has he arrived?"

"Yes." The waitress smiled sweetly. "If you would follow me, Mr. Brooks."

The waitress led him over to a table in the far corner of the restaurant, which was secluded from all of the others. There was already a bottle of wine, which had been opened, on the table. The man who currently sat at the table was lightly muscled with tawny blond hair, and he looked _awfully_ familiar. When he noticed that Phil was there, he set his book aside and looked up, flashing a dazzling smirk that would most likely charm the panties off of any waitress in the restaurant in Phil's direction. It was the man whose son had lost his dinosaur toy.

"Glad to see that you could make it. I was a little worried there." Chris motioned to the seat across from him. "Please, feel free to take a seat. Would you like a drink?"

Phil's olive eyes flickered over to the bottle of wine. "No, thank you. I don't drink."

Chris nodded fondly. "You look like you've just been through a hurricane. Let me guess: you ran over here from your sister's ceremony, didn't you?" Phil looked at him oddly. "Shawn told me you might be late because of it."

Satisfied with that explanation, Phil nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, I did. I know that I look like a wreck and that it's not exactly professional. I'm sorry about that -,"

But Chris cut him off. "Don't worry about it. Actually, it's kind of cute."

Phil's eyes widened a little bit. He had been called a lot of things in his lifetime, but cute had _never_ been one of them. It felt nice, actually. Butterflies swarmed in his stomach and flew up into his chest, making it rather difficult to breath. And, much to his chagrin, a dark flush came over his alabaster cheeks. Maybe it was the sentimentalist in him, but he had always wanted someone who cared about him enough (other than his family, of course) to call him something other than 'sexy' or 'hot'. And even if he had only known Chris for a little while, it felt nice.

"I'm not sure if you remember this or not, but we went to high school together. Granted, there were two grades between us. I was in twelfth and you were in tenth. But we were both on the wrestling team." Chris said softly.

Phil nodded slowly. He _did_ remember that, in fact. "Yeah. I'm surprised that you remember me, though. I certainly wasn't the most memorable face on the team."

"No, that would've been Jeff." Chris admitted. "But I know why I remembered you. I've always had a fascination with the underdog. You faced insurmountable odds and always came out on top."

Phil was a little embarrassed, so he decided to change the subject. "But you didn't call me here to talk about our high school days, did you?"

"No." Chris affirmed. "I wanted to talk to you about the tour and explain one little drawback."

"What's the drawback?" Phil asked.

"My ex-wife and I are currently in the middle of a heated custody battle over our three children. Normally, this wouldn't interfere with work. But the drawback is that she's the head of costume and make-up for the tour." Chris said.

Phil nodded. "So, she'll be with us for the entire tour?"

"The _entire_ tour." Chris exaggerated, before he took a drawn-out drink of his wine.

Now, Phil was of two minds about this recent development. Of course, he felt awful that Chris could lose his kids to a woman that he didn't love anymore. Just because he didn't love her doesn't mean that he doesn't love his children. But also, some tiny part of him was _thankful_ that he wasn't married anymore. As horrible as it sounded, it meant that the feelings that Phil felt could possibly be reciprocated without disastrous side-effects. He would never come between a man and his family. That would be wrong.

Chris spent the rest of their lunch explaining to Phil the ins and outs of the tour. He explained that they would head up to Pennsylvania, would wind up until they were in Rhode Island, and then sweep down into the central states, and end in California in three months time. Then, they would take the tour to Europe and Canada. This would take another three months. By the time they returned, the plans for their next album would be underway. But all Phil could think about was six blissful months away from Beth…

It would be _heavenly._

**OOOO**

**A/N:** So, here's the next chapter. I hope you liked and please remember to review!


	5. The First Day on the Road

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, etc.

**Part:** 5/? – The First Day on the Road

**OOOO**

**ONE WEEK LATER**

Phil felt a little foolish as he loaded his suitcase underneath the tour bus. It had taken him a half hour to decide what exactly he would need to take on the tour with him, but when it came down to it, he didn't really need all that much. He had three sets of jeans, a few shorts, and some boxers. He also had his toothbrush and tooth paste, comb, and hair gel. Other than that, the only other item in his suitcase was a letter from his teammates back at the precinct. And, as it would seem, his partner, Nick Nemeth, had thrown a few condoms in there as well. Phil didn't understand that one. Nick knew that Beth wouldn't be on the tour with him, so what the hell where the condoms for? Scratch that, he didn't want to know.

Once Phil came onto the tour bus, he immediately was able to locate Chris Irvine. The blond motioned for him to come over, and Phil followed the instruction, taking the vacant seat beside Chris. Phil couldn't help but feel a little bit self-conscious as he sat beside Chris. Chris was dressed extravagantly, from his dark blue designer jeans to his white button-down shirt and a shimmering silver vest. He looked every bit the rock star. Meanwhile, Phil was dressed in a pair of black slacks with a brown leather belt, with a loose white shirt that wasn't tucked in. Chris looked him over with a smirk. The other members of the band slowly filed onto the bus, but they took seats closer to the front. Soon, they were off.

"So, Phil." Chris turned to the smaller man, who looked at him with his wide, olive eyes. "I feel like I've told you about my life, but you haven't told me about yours. Did you ever marry?"

Phil shook his head. "No. I never found anyone that could tolerate me long enough to actually marry me. And now that I finally found a woman who can stand me, _I_ can't stand _her_. I want to end it, but I also want to live to see my thirty-fourth birthday."

"She's that kind of woman, huh?" Chris chuckled bitterly. "I know the kind."

"So, you have more children? I mean, other than the little boy that lost his dinosaur toy?" Phil asked, honestly interested.

Chris nodded, before he pulled out his wallet and showed Phil a picture of a little boy. "That's my son, Ash." And then, he showed him a picture of two little girls in frilly white dresses. "And these are my daughters, Cheyenne and Sierra."

"You have beautiful children, Chris." Phil said honestly.

"Thanks." Chris smiled. Phil's heart fluttered at the sight of it.

The two fell into a comfortable silence. A few minutes later, a shrill cry came from behind them. Phil started, the comfortable silence shattered by such a horrendous noise. Chris, a bit sheepish, excused himself as he went to tend to the noise. He returned a few minutes later with a baby in his arms. The little girl was dressed in a pink floral onesie and hot pink leggings, with a bow in her hair Pebbles Flintstone style. It was quite obvious that the child needed a diaper change, but Chris was frantically looking for the diaper bag. Phil saw it tucked underneath the two seats in front of him and took it out, taking it over to Chris. He thanked him, before he handed the baby over to him while he searched for a diaper. Instantly, the baby hushed.

Chris smiled at Phil. "You must have a magic touch. You don't know how long I've tried to learn that secret when it comes to babies." Finally, Chris located a fresh diaper and the baby powder. "What's your secret?"

"I was twelve-years-old when my mom and dad told me that I was gonna be a big brother." Phil shrugged. "Dad was in and out of rehab and shortly after my sister was born, my mom was in a car accident that paralyzed her from the waist down. I learned to take care of my sister because I was the only one left who could."

Chris nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry that it had to be that way. But everything happens for a reason, right? Maybe you were meant for a career that involved children."

"Maybe." Phil dismissed the comment. He really wasn't all that fond of children. "Do you want me to do this for you? You have your hands full with the band and all."

"You would do that?" Chris asked. He sounded surprised.

"Sure." Phil shifted the baby into his left arm and took the diaper and baby powder in the other. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Phil looked at the baby. He could tell by her facial structure and the soft hint of blue in her eyes that this was Cheyenne. Walking into the bathroom, he took the baby changing station down off of the wall and set the baby down on her back. He slid her hot pink leggings off of her body and carefully undid the flaps of her diaper, lifting her little body up to take the diaper out from underneath her. He cleaned her off with a few baby wipes and applied a little bit of baby powder, before he slid the fresh diaper underneath her and set her back down. She cooed softly as he redid the straps on her new diaper and put her leggings back on. Phil had to admit that she was quite the sweetheart.

Taking her back into the little makeshift nursery, he found Sierra playing with her dolls in the far corner. He set Cheyenne down in front of her and Sierra leaned forward, placing a big, fat kiss on her twin sister's forehead. Phil turned around, about ready to head back out into the bus when the little boy came over to him. Ash stared up at him with his big blue eyes, offering up his truck to Phil. It was clear that the little boy wanted Phil to play with him, but Phil was uncertain. Phil had practically raised his little sister and could say with total honesty that he wasn't too fond of children. But this little boy was just so adorable, and there was such an honest hope in his eyes as he held out the toy that Phil was unable to deny him.

"Mr. Brooks?" Ash looked up at him pleadingly, still trying to push the toy truck into his hands. "Would you play 'Monster Trucks' with me?"

"I… I'm not even sure that I know how -," Phil was rather sad to say that his talents were more suited to playing Barbie dolls than to destroying Monster Trucks, but that was the hand that he had been dealt.

But Ash continued to look at him with his wide blue eyes, still hopeful. "I can show you!" He said.

"Fine." Phil finally caved. He sat down on the floor across from the small boy.

Ash walked over to his bag, before he took out a red and black Monster Truck and handed it to Phil. "Here, you can have this one. It's my favorite because red is my favorite color."

Phil chuckled lightheartedly. "Red is my favorite color too."

When Phil didn't return for several minutes, Chris became worried and decided to check the nursery just to make sure that he was okay. What he found shocked him, but not necessarily in a bad way. He found Phil, lying on the floor across from Ash, making Monster Trucks collide viciously. Whenever a wheel would pop off here or some other part of the car would become broken, Phil was quick to fix it to ensure that Ash didn't become fussy. Phil really was great with children. And it made Chris smile to see someone so relaxed around Ash, Cheyenne, and Sierra. To know that they already liked and trusted this man took an extremely heavy weight off of his shoulders…

**OOOO**

**A/N:** So, how early is _too_ early for a first kiss? And what did you think of the chapter? Please Review!


	6. My First Kiss

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, etc.

**Part:** 6/? – My First Kiss

**OOOO**

The first show had started and the band started to come out to thousands of fans, smiles on their faces as the technical crew made a few last-minute adjustments to the set. Phil sat in the back, an old science-fiction novel in hand as he waited for the intermission. Chris had told him that there were always a few over-excited fans who would try to come into the back in the middle of the intermission, but Phil was ready for them. Since this was a smaller arena, Phil was the only one on security detail. He didn't mind, however. He liked the solitude.

However, the serene silence didn't last for very long. A few minutes later, a familiar little boy with a bowl cut of blond hair ran up to him. He had tears in his big, blue eyes. Sullenly, he tugged on Phil's shirt sleeve to gain his attention. Phil closed his book and set it on the floor beside him, before he lifted the little boy and set him down on his lap. Ash sniffled softly, burying his face in Phil's white t-shirt. Unsure of what had caused Ash's distress, he ruffled the soft blond hair on the little boy's head. When Ash had calmed himself down, Phil turned him around so that they were face to face.

"What's the matter, kid?" Phil asked, chewing on his strawberry gum slowly. Ash looked at him sadly, the tears still in his eyes as he looked down at his knee. It was bloody and swollen.

"I was running and I fell and my knee _really_ hurts." Ash said, his voice trembling. Phil nodded sympathetically – it looked like it hurt like a bitch. "Can you fix it, Mr. Brooks?"

Phil looked him in the eye. "It's just Phil, kid. I'm Phil, you're Ash."

Ash nodded. "Can you fix it, Phil?"

"Yeah." Phil nodded. He stood and carried Ash to the bathroom. "We'll wash it out and put a band-aid on it, and you'll be good as new. Okay?"

Ash nodded slowly, wrapping his little arms around Phil's neck. "Okay."

Phil did exactly what he had said that he would. He set Ash down on the counter in the bathroom, before he took a clean handkerchief out of the pocket of his slacks (he didn't trust the cheap paper-products this arena liked to call 'paper towels'). He wet it with some warm water and added a little bit of soap, before he tenderly started to clean the blood off of Ash's knee. The little boy hissed a bit when the soap started to clean out the wound, but he remained still until the end. Carefully, Phil dried off the wound and stuck a _Peanuts_ band-aid over the reddened area.

When Phil came out, a tall blond woman was waiting for him. Ash slid to the floor beside Phil, and when the woman called out his name, he hid himself behind Phil's leg. Without a word between them, Phil was immediately able to recognize the woman as Jessica Irvine. He tried to send the boy over to her, but he wouldn't budge. Finally, Phil told him to run off and find his two sisters. Ash did just that, leaving Phil and Ash's irate mother. Phil had a feeling that something bad was coming, but he wasn't quite prepared for what happened next. Jessica hit him. Hard.

Immediately, Phil felt his eye start to swell. Soon, it was so bad that he could barely see out of it. And then, she raked her feline _claws_ (which were more like talons, truth be told) down his cheek. Thick beads of blood came to the surface and started to course down his alabaster flesh. Phil flinched a little bit as he tried to move his cheek around. He had no idea what he had done to deserve such a vicious assault, but by the look on Jessica's face, he was about to find out. Jessica looked like she was about to hit him one more time, and Phil wondered if it was okay to hit a woman in self-defense…

"You _will_ stay away from my children, do you understand? I don't need your faggot hands all over my son!" Jessica exclaimed rudely. Phil looked at her as if a third head had come out of her shoulder. "If you come near him, or any of my children, _that_ will seem like a minor bruise."

"Is that a threat, ma'am?" Phil didn't take too kindly to threats from anyone, be it man or woman. He wasn't a little bitch that could be thrown around like a toy. "You do know that I can arrest you for threatening a police officer, correct?"

Jessica smirked. "Go ahead and cuff me, _officer_. I'd love to see the look on my son's face when he sees his hero dragging his mommy out in handcuffs."

Phil rolled his eyes, before he touched his hand to his cheek and felt the blood pouring out. "Fine. Threat acknowledged. I'll stay away from your children. Just keep those talons away from me."

"Good to know." Jessica said. "Oh, and Phil?"

Phil didn't even want to know how she knew his name. "What?"

"Stay away from Chris."

**TWO HOURS LATER**

Chris walked down to the back, exhausted but exhilarated from the show. He looked around for Phil, wanting to congratulate him on a job well done during intermission, when he realized that he hadn't seen the ravenette since before the show started. For some reason, this made him more than a little uneasy. However, he didn't have to look too hard for Phil. The ravenette stood in the bathroom, his hands trembling as he tried (and failed) to clean out a few nasty gashes on his cheek. Chris frowned. He knew that the fans could be harsh, but this was uncalled for…

He walked over and carefully extracted the tools from Phil's hands. Phil looked at him, startled. There was a little bit of fear in his eyes as well, but Chris pretended not to notice that. He put some fresh disinfectant on the towel and cleaned out the scratches on his cheek, before he took a clean strip of gauze and carefully taped it over the wound. It would most likely scab overnight, but Chris didn't want to take any chances. When Chris looked up, expecting to look into Phil's handsome olive eyes, he found himself face-to-face with a rather swollen, purplish-reddish piece of flesh that had taken over his left eye.

"What the hell happened to you, Phil?" Chris exclaimed, suddenly extremely worried for no reason at all. It was obvious that Phil was fine – there was no obvious sign of a concussion, and the bleeding in his cheek had stopped.

"Your _wife_, that's what." Phil answered, no hint of sarcasm in his tone.

"What the hell would cause her to do this?" Chris wondered aloud.

Phil sighed. "Your son scraped his knee somewhere in the arena, and he wanted me to take care of it for him. Apparently, he's become rather attached to me. Jessica called him over and he wouldn't come. So, she hit me."

Chris shook his head. He took his ice cold water bottle out of his bag and held it to Phil's eye. "Well, I for one am glad that Ash has taken to you. He needs someone around that he can trust."

"I'm not sure that I'm the most trustworthy person…" Phil trailed off, not wanting to reveal more.

"Well, everyone here – Jessica aside – trusts you. And that's all that matters." Chris said. "Now, does it still hurt?"

Chris carefully peeled the water bottle off. Phil flinched. "A little bit."

Not really thinking too much of it, Chris leaned forward and kissed the swollen, discolored skin. Phil's lashes fluttered as his eyes slid closed, butterflies swarming in his stomach at the sensation. Slow, gentle fingers tangled in his short black locks and held him there as Chris memorized every inch of damaged skin. Surprisingly, his touch didn't hurt. In fact, it almost tickled. And, somehow, Phil found himself craving more. He leaned into the tender touch, whining softly when Chris pulled back with a soft smirk. He put the water bottle back into place.

Their eyes met for a moment. The only two sounds that could be heard were the occasional crinkle of the plastic of the water bottle and their labored breathing. Phil found himself staring into the taller man's face, memorizing every detailed line. The forbidden fruit was made all the sweeter by the fact that his ex-wife would most likely kill him for this. Normally, Phil wasn't a vindictive kind of person… oh, to hell with that. This was the same man who stuck his sister's stuffed unicorn in the microwave because she told their mother that he had a girl in his room. Vindictive was his middle name.

So, when Chris leaned in and claimed his lips in a soft, beautifully breathtaking kiss, Phil didn't try to shove him off. In fact, he allowed his body to melt into Chris'. The singer's mouth travelled over every inch of his face, from the soft white gauze to the swollen left eye. Phil felt his heart start to beat erratically in his chest. He loved this. Feeling loved. Not having to worry about an unexpected mood swing that would cause his girlfriend to turn into an ax murder. And even if this wasn't love, then he would indulge in it momentarily. He would let himself revel in the feel of arms around his waist and lips tenderly pressed to his.

Chris drew back and looked down at Phil, satisfied when olive eyes peered back at him, hazed over with a mixture of unidentifiable emotions. "How does it feel now?"

"Better." Phil admitted. "Much, _much_ better."

**OOOO**

**A/N:** So, should Phil be worried about Jessica's threat? Let me know in a review!


	7. A Dinner Date

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, etc.

**Part:** 7/? – A Dinner Date

**OOOO**

"You want to grab a bite to eat before we head back to the hotel, Phil? I'm sure that the last place you want to be is in catering with Jessica and her lackeys." Chris bit out sarcastically. It was obvious that he wasn't too fond of Jessica.

"Sure." Phil said. A decent meal sounded nice. "I hear there's a great Red Lobster in Montgomeryville. My sister loves it there. It's actually only a few blocks down the road."

"That sounds wonderful." Chris said as he led them out of the bathroom. "You can lead the way."

Since it was only a few blocks down the street, they made the decision to walk there. It was a little chilly outside, so Phil slid on his battered black and white hoodie. He had had it since he was a teen and had seen it in a ski store. They walked close by each other, no words shared between them. Chris had to admit that he liked how it felt to have Phil at his side, their shoulders bumping occasionally. He was sure that they had both felt the shock from that kiss. However, neither uttered a word about it. Subtly, Chris reached out and elbowed Phil's arm. Phil looked at him uncertainly, before he allowed Chris to take his hand.

It was a small, romantic sentiment. Phil wasn't a sentimentalist at heart. He wasn't the kind to kiss in the rain or to run off in the sunset. But for some reason, when Chris intertwined their fingers, his heart fluttered. Dark olive eyes fluttered up to look at Chris, who only smiled down at him. No words were said. No words were needed. They arrived at Red Lobster a few minutes later, the sky just now starting to become dark. The waitress smiled at them, before she led them to a table and took their orders. Chris ordered the Endless Shrimp, while Phil ordered the Lobster Bisque.

"I'm really sorry about what she did to your face." Chris said after a minute of silence. "She's never been violent before. I mean, she's tried to run workers off before, but dear God…"

Phil shook his head, before he took a drink of water. "Really, you don't have to worry about it. I wouldn't have decided to join the force if I couldn't take a punch or two." Phil touched his swollen, blackened eye carefully. "It doesn't hurt, either."

"I'm glad to hear that." Chris said with a small smile. "Because it looks like it hurts like a bitch."

Phil looked down, a little bit embarrassed. "The kiss helped, actually."

Chris smirked as a dark flush crossed over Phil's cheeks. "Is little Philly embarrassed?"

"No." Phil shook his head furiously. "Embarrassed and Phil Brooks don't fit in the same sentence."

"Uhuh." Chris nodded doubtfully. He watched as Phil's eyes flickered between Chris' face and the wooden table. "I don't mean to tease you. Honestly, I'm thankful that it doesn't hurt."

Phil smiled. "I don't think that anyone's ever tried to 'tease' me before. They've all been too scared to cross me. It's… kinda nice, actually."

Chris' smirk became wider. "You're cute when you smile."

The dark flush returned. "Shut up." Phil smacked him with his napkin.

The food arrived and the two ate in a comfortable silence. Phil realized that, when it came to food, it was best to remain ten feet away from Chris – at least where shrimp were concerned. The man practically _inhaled_ his food. There was barely any time to breathe in-between bites. And he had already ordered his second plate of endless shrimp (this time fried, with a side of the red sauce that Phil could never remember the name of) by the time Phil was halfway finished with his soup. Luckily, the restaurant truly meant 'endless'. He finished three full plates by the time he was even remotely close to 'full'.

"You're looking at me funny. Why is that?" Chris asked, honestly confused by the odd look on Phil's face.

Phil shook his head slowly, chuckling softly. Chris decided that he liked the sound. "Nothing. I just… never thought that anyone could like shrimp quite as much as you do. That's all."

Chris' classic smirk returned. "It's a curse, I suppose. I do love shrimp, but it's so expensive to have so few. That's why I love Red Lobster. Endless Shrimp and I are a match made in heaven."

Once they had finished and paid for their meal, they exited the restaurant and walked back into the brisk night. They had spent about an hour and a half inside Red Lobster, so it was entirely dark by the time they made it outside. Phil looked at the stars longingly, loving how they shimmered in the black velvet sky. Okay, so _maybe_ he was a sentimentalist at heart. But the first person to call him a sap was getting a black eye, no questions asked. This time, their hands intertwined on their own accord. Phil liked the way Chris' soft hand felt on his.

It took them fifteen minutes to locate the hotel in the darkness. Ever the gentleman, Chris walked Phil all the way to his door. There, the two men hesitated. It was that awkward post-date moment, where the first kiss had already occurred and no-one was quite sure as to what to do next. Finally, Chris swept Phil into his arms in a rather flamboyant movement that was quite befitting to a rock star. He leaned down and claimed Phil's mouth softly, tenderly. Ever so slowly, Phil relaxed in Chris' arms and succumbed to the sensation. All at once, Chris drew back with his classic smirk.

"Goodnight, Phil. Remember, we hit the road at 7:00 AM tomorrow." Chris winked at him, and before Phil could say a word, he went off to find his own room.

**THE NEXT DAY**

Phil awoke at 6:30 AM with a curse on his pierced lips. Of course, the one morning that he _had_ to wake up and be on time for work (Sheamus could care less if he showed up on time or not, as long as he came in at some point and fulfilled his hours), the hotel wake-up call service had failed him as well as the alarm clock that he had set for 5:00 AM. With a sigh, he rolled out of bed and stretched, letting out a startled cry as he picked up a little bit too much momentum and fell face-first onto the hardwood floor. Another curse left him as he rubbed his nose, which had been hit in the collision, only to find blood on his hand.

He threw off his pajamas and took out a fresh pair of boxers, sliding them over his naked form as he tried desperately to locate his pants. That's when he noticed that a thin package had been stuffed underneath his door, probably while he was sleeping. Conscious of the fact that he only had twenty-five minutes before he had to be down at the bus, he picked up the note and his heart sank when he saw what was attached to it. It looked like his favorite stone-washed jeans had met the paper shredder, as all that was left was an extremely short skirt-like material and shreds of the pants. He turned his attention to the note.

_Dearest Phillip,_

_Did you enjoy your little surprise? It was all too easy to convince the man at the front desk to hand over an extra set of keys to your room, and you did leave these out on the foot of the bed… I hope they weren't your only pair of pants. That would be a shame. Did I not warn you to keep your slimy, faggot hands away from my husband and my children? In case you didn't realize it, that means your lips as well. Consider this your final warning. I don't take kindly to disobedience, Phil. If you come near him, I will hurt you. Maybe not physically… but it will be slow and painful, and you'll always remember that you had the chance to walk away. Walk away now and no-one has to be hurt. You have a choice, Phil. Make it a good one._

_Jessica Irvine_

"That psychotic little b- _witch_." Phil caught himself before he could voice his true opinion about the harpy that Chris so affectionately deemed his 'ex-wife'. His olive eyes flickered over to the clock. "Shit. Twenty minutes. Okay, Phil. Think."

Finally, he threw on some old sweats with large holes where the knees should have been. It wasn't the most professional look in the world, but it would have to do until he could buy some new pants. He slid one of his white shirts on over his head and tucked it into the sweats, before he slid on the belt with his tazer and the holster for his gun. Casting a hurried glance in the mirror, he looked like a freaking idiot on Mardi Gras. All he needed were some clown shoes… not the time to think like that. He shook his head and took out his mousse, sticking some on his unruly hair and combing it through.

He was literally stuffing his feet into his shoes as he rushed out of the hotel room, the strap of his bag in his teeth as he hopped toward the elevator. It must have been a rather comical sight, but Phil certainly wasn't laughing. He made it down to the bus with five minutes to spare, but he earned himself some rather quizzical looks from the other band members. Claiming a seat as far from Chris as he could, he opened the same science-fiction novel that he had been reading before and turned to the page he had left off on.

If he had been a little more alert in the hotel room, he would have noticed that both the phone line and the electrical cord for the alarm clock had been cut…

**THREE HOURS LATER**

Phil had avoided Chris for most of the ride, but now that they had taken a brief break at a rest stop, an encounter was inevitable. Phil strayed from the small Bed & Breakfast, walking down the streets in search of a shop that sold anything remotely civilized in the way of clothes. Anything would be better than these horrendous sweats. When he finally found a store, he made sure that his wallet was in his pocket before he walked inside. He didn't notice that he was being followed. Browsing through a rack of dressy slacks, he was startled out of his silent reverie by a hand on his shoulder.

Chris' eyes widened when, all of a sudden, he had a tazer pressed to the side of his neck. A jolt at such close proximity, to such a vital artery, was potentially lethal. From the look in Phil's eyes, he knew this all too well. "Whoa there, Phil. Calm down."

Slowly, the tenseness flooded out of Phil's body and the smaller man relaxed. "What do you want, Chris? I'm kinda busy at the moment." Phil said harshly.

"What's the matter with you?" Chris asked. "Yesterday we hit it off and today you can't even look at me. Why is that?"

Phil narrowed his eyes at him. "Maybe I don't like you as much as you think I do."

Chris shook his head, a little too cocky for his own good. "That's not the real reason and we both know it. You're afraid of something; I can see it in your eyes. It takes a lot to scare the man with the tazer."

Phil looked down at the black dressy slacks in his hand. "I'm just here to buy some pants that I can wear so I look presentable as the head of security. Because that's my job. I'm here to protect you and the other members of the band, not to be your friend."

Chris' smirk fell. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to Phil's, so close that their breath mingled and their lips almost touched. "You can't deny that you feel something for me, Phil. Anything. Because I feel for you."

Phil took a shaky breath and shook his head. "Please, Chris… just let me do my job."

At this, Chris drew back. He looked deeply into Phil's eyes, before he turned on his heel and walked out without another word. Phil sighed. He hated this. But he knew how much Chris' family meant to him, even that insane woman, and he could never come between them. Besides, he had a girlfriend that was probably worried sick about him. In a moment of intense pain, he may have deleted her number from his phone and blocked all of her calls. She was probably on the brink of filing a missing person's report… maybe it was time to drop her a call.

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	8. A Glam Attack

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 8/? – A Glam Attack

**OOOO**

Elizabeth Phoenix stood in the middle of the mat, her hands and wrists covered as she let loose a vicious assault on her 'best friend', Ricardo. The truth was, she couldn't stand the man. He was a whiny little bitch that could barely stand on his own two feet without the assistance of his boyfriend, Alberto Del Rio. The blonde woman hit the soft covers all over Ricardo's body, almost sure that the (somewhat) delicate hits would bruise the man's dark skin underneath. She was extremely worried about her boyfriend, Phil… she hadn't heard from him in over a week.

As if on cue, her cell started to vibrate. Paul Wight, Beth's trainer, connected the cell to the computer and turned on the screen. Phil's face materialized on the screen, revealing that he was on some kind of bus, the destination unknown. He watched as Beth went to work on Ricardo, running his back into one of the poles in the corner and smiling with sick satisfaction as he crumbled to his knees from the pain. Beth had always had a rather unusual pain kink. Phil watched as she lifted the man into the air and tossed him onto his stomach, before she covered him for the three count. Paul called the match.

"Hey, baby!" It was a little freaky how Beth knew it was him, even if she hadn't actually seen him. She turned to him with a broad smile. "I feel like I haven't heard from you _forever_. How have you been? Where are you?"

Phil stared back at her, silent. It looked to be about 12:00 PM there, while it was around 6:00 PM where Beth was. _"I was hired for a security job that will take about six months. But I'll be there to see your shining moment. I wouldn't miss it for the world."_

Beth smiled at him as she started to unwrap her hands and wrists. "Have you cleared it with your new boss?"

"_Yeah. Shawn's cool with it."_ Phil said slowly. _"Out of the six months on the road with the band, I have ten personal days. I plan to use them to come see you in London."_

"Wait? Shawn, as in, Shawn Michaels? The manager of several bands, including Fozzy, but none as important as Fozzy?" Beth gushed. Phil nodded. "Oh, it was always a dream of mine to see Fozzy in tour. Guess all the tickets are sold out, huh?"

Phil really didn't want to do this, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. _"Actually, I happen to have a ticket for when the band comes to Cameron, North Carolina. It's all yours if you want it."_

"Really?" Beth's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Oh, thank you baby! Thank you so much!"

"_It's not a problem babe, really. You don't have to be so thankful."_ Phil said.

"Oh, but I am!" Beth exclaimed. But then, her eyes narrowed when she saw the gauze strip on his cheek. "Baby, what happened to your face? Did some woman hurt you? Tell me her name."

Phil smiled nervously. He knew that there was a significant chance that if he told Beth about Jessica, Jessica would end up hurt somehow, and the trail would lead back to him… _"It's nothing, babe. I cut myself shaving, that's all."_

"If you're sure…" Beth trailed off uncertainly.

Phil looked away from his I-Phone for a moment. He realized that they had arrived at their destination. _"I'm sorry babe, but I gotta go. I promise I'll call you soon, okay? Love you."_

"Love you too, baby. See you soon!" Beth waved at the screen, before the call disconnected.

Beth turned around in time to see that Ricardo had waddled off of the matt and in the direction of the first-aid kit for an instant ice pack. She rolled her eyes. Seriously, that boy needed to grow a set. She turned around and walked off of the matt, taking an ice cold water bottle out of Paul's hands and taking a drink. It wouldn't do to become dehydrated in her warm-up, after all. While she took a short break, Paul set to work folding up the matt and moving the gymnastics equipment into place. He secured the balance beam to the floor and set a small container of chalk nearby. Beth smiled at him in thanks.

**MEANWHILE**

Chris sat in his usual seat in the back of the tour bus, his knees drawn in toward his chest, with a spiral-bound notebook in his hands. He was trying desperately to find the inspiration for new lyrics, but the usual fountain of inspiration was dry. The other members of the band had dozed off, not used to having to awaken at such an early hour and succumbing easily to their exhaustion. The only other one awake was Phil, who had just ended a conversation with his girlfriend. Chris studied him curiously. What was the cause of this sudden rift between them?

It was like that totally clichéd moment where the light bulb goes off in the inventor's head, because when Phil turned a bit in his seat and bunkered down to catch a few winks before they arrived at their new hotel, Chris was able to catch a glimpse of that perfect face. His heart hammered away in his chest as he watched Phil's eyelids flutter, until he finally caved and fell asleep like the rest of them. Without really thinking of it, his hand flew across the page. Words were drawn out of him without any kind of rhyme or reason… he wrote them down because they felt _right_.

"You have it bad for him, don't you?" Chris started. In his haze, he didn't even realize that someone had awakened. Zack Ryder, one of his back-up dancers, stared at him with exceptionally clear chestnut eyes.

"How do you know?" Zack shot him a look and Chris relented. "Is it that obvious?"

"Well, if I didn't know before…" Zack motioned to the illustration of Phil at the top of the page, and then to the numerous mentions of the security officer's name. "…I would have to be an idiot to not know now."

Chris shook his head. "I don't know. I like him and all, but… it's never been this hard before. There's never been so much at stake. One step out of bounds and my wife has full custody of the kids. But she shouldn't be able to dictate my life."

"It won't always be this difficult." Zack tried to console him.

"Was it this difficult for you and Kane?" Chris asked.

Zack was silent as he tried to remember. Kane was the warden at The Rosaria Correctional Facility. When he and Zack had first met, Zack was a fifteen-year-old boy who was in with the wrong crowd. They were arrested for armed robbery of a gas station (by none other than Officer Phil Brooks and Officer Dolph Ziggler, ironically). Kane could see that the boy was sorry for what he had done and he had protected him from the other prisoners during his two year stay. He was paroled after the second year, while the other three boys served their full six year sentences.

Now, almost twelve years later, fate had finally dealt them a favorable hand. Kane and Zack were to be married in November, the week after Fozzy returned from their six month tour. And, three months after that, they would welcome their first child into the world. Chris almost looked up to Kane and Zack. They were a success story and showed that love could blossom in even the most odd of circumstances. Zack shook his head, as if he had broken out of the prison of his own mind. He turned to Chris and blinked his chestnut eyes in the older man's direction.

"If it's any consolation, I just remembered that I overheard Jessica talk to the receptionist at the front desk last night." Zack said nonchalantly. "It sounded like she wanted a key to Phil's room. She had a pocket knife and some scissors in her pocket."

Chris' eyes widened considerably. "And this didn't strike you as _odd_?"

Zack raised his hands in his own defense. "Hey, it was almost one in the morning. I was overly tired and had horrific morning sickness. The only thing I wanted was my bed."

"Okay, okay." Chris relented. "Thanks for letting me know."

"Not a problem." Zack said dismissively. "I'll talk to you later."

Chris was silent as he watched the eccentric man walk off. Finally, once Zack had vanished entirely, he turned back to staring at Phil from afar. The ravenette hadn't even stirred from the noise of Zack and Chris' conversation. In fact, it seemed like he had fallen into an even deeper sleep in that time. His chest rose and fell ever so slowly, and Chris smirked when he heard a small snore. Phil was just too adorable for his own good. And he was too precious for Chris to abandon just yet. All he had to do was find out the true depth of Jessica's vendetta against Phil. In other words, he would have to confront the beast.

**TWO HOURS LATER**

Beth had finished with her training and now stood in front of her boyfriend's apartment, looking for the spare key that he usually kept underneath the matt. When she couldn't find it, she took a bobby pin out of her hair and picked the lock. With one good twist of the door handle, she was inside. Her mission was short and simple. Locate her boyfriend's emergency credit card, which he always kept in a second wallet in a locked dresser drawer, so that she could pay off an old friend who had agreed to help her to 'take care' of Phil. Beth turned the light on and walked to the bedroom with confidence. This was too easy.

Using the same bobby pin that she had used to pick the lock on the front door, she unlocked the drawer and opened it, rifling the contents around for a brief moment, before she found it. Sliding it out of the wallet, she smirked. The funds on the card were built partially from his inheritance and partially from the money that he had been saving for his entire life, which meant that there was a minimum of one-thousand dollars on the card. That would be more than enough to take care of the job _and_ have some left over to toss around on some new gymnastics equipment.

The Glamazon turned around and smirked when she saw Jessica Irvine standing in the doorway, an expectant look on her face. She showed her the card and that expectant look morphed into a smile. Oh, all of this had been way too easy. Phil would learn what it meant to come between a wife and her husband, the hard way. She had tried to be friendly. She had tried to warn him. But Phil had decided to be recalcitrant and to ignore her all too clear advice. And now, he would have to pay the price. What better way than with his own funds, by the hands of his own partner in crime: Dolph Ziggler?

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	9. A Counterattack

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 9/? – A Counterattack

**OOOO**

Officer Ziggler stood in front of Police Commissioner Sheamus O'Shaugnessy's desk, a look of determination on his handsome face. Sheamus' cold, metallic silver eyes scanned over a file on a recent case, oblivious to the officer's existence. "Sir?"

Finally, Sheamus looked at him. Dolph and Sheamus weren't exactly on the best of terms, and the only reason that Dolph wasn't out on his 'arse' was the fact that Phil liked him and they worked well as a team. "What is it, officer?"

"I have reason to believe that there are two women who have the means and the idea to seriously harm and/or kill Officer Brooks, sir." Dolph's eyes never met Sheamus', but Sheamus could tell that the man was worried.

"What reason do you have to believe this, officer?" Sheamus asked.

Here, the officer hesitated. After a moment, he took out his phone and searched the texts until he found the one that he wanted. "The two women contacted me because I was a marine sniper to take care of some 'business' for them."

"What kind of 'business'?" Sheamus asked as he read over the texts.

"They offered to pay me a large sum of money, which they had to take out of an offshore account. I had the tech lab look into the account number – it's Phil's. As to the 'business', it was to 'take care' of someone for them." Dolph said.

"It does sound off, fella. What are the names of these two women?" Sheamus asked.

Dolph handed over the file to the superior officer. "Jessica Irvine and Beth Phoenix."

"Beth Phoenix?" Sheamus sounded startled. "As in, Phil's girlfriend?"

"The same." Dolph confirmed.

Sheamus did a little once-over of the case file that the officer had handed to him. It detailed the little-known criminal record of Jessica Irvine. Sheamus scanned over most of it with little care – it was mostly DUIs and Public Inebriation. Nothing too interesting, or at least that would warrant a full-blown search of her house and arrest. That was, of course, until he came to a Domestic Disturbance report. Carefully, he removed it from the file and looked it over. A neighbor of the Irvine's had reported shouts at 3:00 AM, followed by a loud noise that sounded like a shot from a rifle. The beat cop later confirmed that suspicion.

So, Jessica owned and operated a firearm without a license – crime number one. She later confirmed that Chris, her husband at the time, had _not_ actually tried to attack her and her attack on him had been unwarranted – crime number two. Her children had been upstairs in bed, asleep. They could have been harmed as well – crime number three. That was more than enough to create reasonable doubt as to the fact that she wouldn't hurt Phil. Sheamus nodded as he handed the file back to Dolph. He had met Jessica once or twice, didn't like her too much. And she made it personal when she threatened one of his officers.

"Alright, fella. Here's what you're gonna do." Sheamus said, his metallic eyes on the tiled ceiling. "Head down to the courthouse and ask, no, _demand_ to speak with Judge McMahon. Ask him for a warrant to search Jessica and Beth's houses."

Dolph was about to ask _why_ Sheamus would want him to seek out the most contentious, recalcitrant judge to ever enter Chicago, but wisely thought against it. "Okay. I can do that. I'll call with the news about the warrant."

"You do that." Sheamus nodded. "And Dolph?"

Dolph turned around, a bit startled by the fact that Sheamus had used his first name. "Yes?"

"Keep a close eye on Beth and Jessica. I don't trust them." Sheamus said.

"I'll do that, sir." Dolph assured.

"Good."

Sheamus was silent as he watched Dolph gather up his files and tuck them underneath his arm, before he walked out of Sheamus' office and closed the door softly behind him. Truth be told, Sheamus was extremely worried about Phil. He knew that Phil could take care of himself, but he also knew that, when it came down to it, Phil would never lay his hands on a woman. Even if it was a matter of life or death. He would ridicule them to no end, torment them ceaselessly (evidence: Phil's little sister, Selene), but he could never harm them. It wasn't in his nature.

Reaching out toward his cell phone, he finally made a decision. At the very least, he could warn Phil about what he could expect in the future. He knew that it was unlikely that Phil would take any action to defend himself, but still, it was worth a try. He wasn't about to lose his best officer because some _witch_ with a criminal record a mile long had a vendetta against him that she just couldn't shake. The real reason that he sent Phil on this security detail job was to ensure the fact that he would be safe from his obsessive girlfriend, but now he had new trouble.

Sheamus dialed Phil's number and waited. After a moment, the ravenette answered, _"Hello?"_

"Phil, fella, we need to talk…"

**THREE HOURS LATER**

"Phil? Phil, we need to talk." Chris stood outside of Phil's hotel room, frustrated about the fact that Phil hadn't talked to him since that kiss two days before. "Please, Phil, don't lock me out."

Phil opened the door to the hotel room and looked at Chris uncertainly. "What do you want, Chris?"

"I want to know if Jessica came to talk to you. Shawn said that she talked to the clerk at the front desk and got a key to your hotel room. Phil, if she hurt you, I need you to tell me." Chris lied – it had really been Zack who had told him about the keycard.

Phil looked down at the floor. "She's not a threat, Chris. I'm a trained officer of the law. If she bothers me, I know how to handle myself. You don't have to worry about me."

"I _am_ worried about you. I know that you couldn't hurt her, even if you had to." Chris said.

Phil shook his head. "Please, don't do this, Chris. I have a girlfriend -,"

"Yeah. A real winner. I believe that you once told me that you were afraid she would kill you in your sleep." Chris bit back viciously. "Just let me take care of you, Phil. Let someone else protect _you_ for once."

"I can't -,"

But before Phil could finish, Chris claimed his lips in a bruising kiss. He drew Phil in close to his body, loving the warmth that radiated from the smaller man's form. Phil struggled a bit, not wanting to relent and seem like a hypocrite… but soon, Chris' advances became too much and he relaxed in Chris' arms. Slowly, Chris smirked and drew back. Taking Phil by the hand, he shut the door to the man's hotel room and led him back to his own hotel room down the hall. Phil would be staying with him tonight.

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	10. The First Time

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 10/? – The First Time

**OOOO**

Chris made Phil sit down on the bed, before he went off to make sure that his children were all tucked in. When he returned, Phil had his knees drawn into his chest and he had left his tazer and firearm on the other side of the room. "Phil? Look at me, Phil."

"What do you want from me, Chris?" Phil asked, tired and a little bit scared. Not of Chris. He was afraid of what Jessica would do to Chris if she found out about this. "There's only one bed in here and -,"

Chris smirked. "Yeah. I realized that there's only one bed in here." He sat down on the other side of the bed and looked at Phil hopefully. "You can have the bed and I'll use the floor. I just wanted to know that you're safe, that's all."

Phil tilted his head to the side. "I can't do that to you. This is _your_ room and _your_ bed."

Chris nodded slowly. "Well, there is an alternative."

"What's that?" Phil asked. It was almost endearing how naïve he was.

"We could sleep in the same bed." Chris offered. "I mean, we're two fully grown men. We're not hormonally driven teens anymore. I'm sure that we can both be in the same bed without anything _sexual_ happening."

Phil looked at Chris uncertainly, before he said, "Okay."

Phil took off his shirt and left it in the corner by his tazer and firearm, before he slid into the bed on the extreme left side of the mattress. He didn't turn around when he felt Chris slide in on the other side. Chris turned onto his side so that they were back to back, and Phil could feel the heat that radiated off of the bigger man's body. Phil had to admit that being so close to Chris was nothing short of enticing. He could feel his nether regions stir as the man's intoxicating scent washed over him, and Phil curled in on himself as much as he could to try and hide it.

An hour later found them both asleep. Phil and Chris had turned over somewhere along the line and Phil had intertwined his body with Chris'. The smaller man's body was pressed so closely to Chris' that Chris could feel every inch of him, including a blossoming erection to match Chris' own. Chris' hips shifted slightly, eliciting a moan from the tattooed police officer. After a moment, Chris awoke, startled by the rush of pleasure that came over him all of a sudden. Slowly, he brushed his hand over Phil's raven locks. The smaller man's breath was heavy with lust and a thin sheen of sweat coated his tan skin.

Hesitantly, Phil's eyes fluttered open in time to see Chris lean in and claim his lips in a heated kiss. Phil felt a sharp, intoxicating pain when Chris bit down on his lip ring and pulled gently. Hands traveled down over Phil's bare chest as if he had known it his entire life, tweaking the nipples and memorizing every inch of tanned skin and muscle that he found. Finally, Chris drew back from the kiss. Phil was breathless and his lips were swollen and bruised a dark, bloody red. His hands hesitated above the button of Phil's slacks. In the end, it had to be Phil's decision.

"Phil, tell me what you want me to do." Chris said honestly. "If you want this to stop, this doesn't have to go further. But I can tell that your body doesn't want this to be over. Don't deny yourself, Phil."

Phil's beautiful olive eyes slid closed. "It's… I have a girlfriend, and this is so, _so_ wrong. But…" Chris' fingers trailed down over the tent in his slacks, and he let out a soft whimper. "Just do it."

Chris smirked, before he leaned down and kissed the smaller man once more. Swiftly, he unbuttoned the man's slacks and took them off of his body. His boxers followed suit. Then, Chris climbed between Phil's legs and bent down, taking the man's half-erect cock into his mouth and sucking harshly. He drew back, sliding his tongue over the heated organ and swirling it over the head. Releasing it with a wet _pop_, he jerked it a few times in his hand and drew his blunt nail over the slit. He pressed two fingers to Phil's mouth and ordered him to 'suck' before he took the heated member back in his mouth.

Once his fingers were slick, he took them out of Phil's mouth and shifted him a bit so that he could reach the man's untouched entrance. He circled his middle finger around the puckered entrance once, before he pressed it in slowly. Phil let out a strangled noise that sounded somewhere between a scream and a moan. Chris hollowed his cheeks and sucked harder on his cock to try and force him to relax, and once he did, he slipped another finger past the tight barrier. Scissoring them back and forth, he was able to slide the last one in with ease. When he deemed Phil well-stretched, he slid out and slicked his erect cock.

"I won't lie to you." Chris looked Phil in the eye, his tone extremely serious. "This _will_ hurt. But I need you to stay relaxed and calm. If you want me to stop, then say 'Chicago'. I honestly don't want to hurt you."

Phil nodded, squeezing his eyes closed as Chris lined up with his entrance. "Okay."

Chris slowly pushed in, hating to see how Phil's face scrunched up as he tried to accommodate the size of the foreign intruder. "It'll be okay, Phil. Just try not to think about it too much."

When Chris bottomed-out, Phil let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He waited a moment to speak because he didn't trust his voice, before he nodded to Chris. "Move."

Chris started a slow and sensual pace, almost afraid to tear the smaller man. But Phil wouldn't have any of that. He hooked his feet around Chris' waist and pressed his heels into the small of Chris' back. Without even batting an eyelash, he forced Chris all the way inside of him. The head of Chris' leaking cock slammed into his prostate ferociously. After that, all thoughts of slow, sensual sex flew out the window. A few more strokes to his prostate sent Phil over the edge, and the second that his walls clamped down around Chris' cock, Chris came as well, coating Phil's insides with his essence.

Chris pulled out, about to say something to Phil, when he noticed that the smaller man had fallen into a light doze. Chuckling softly, he stood and went out to find a washcloth to clean up the mess that they had made…

**THE NEXT DAY**

Phil knelt in front of the toilet, emptying the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl. His stomach hurt and he was oddly dizzy, and the minute that he had awakened to the scent of pancakes and bacon from room service, he had made an emergency stop in the bathroom. When he was sure that he was finished, he took a small Dixie cup and filled it with water, before he washed his mouth out and spat in the toilet. Flushing the mess down, he had to wonder why, all of a sudden, he had the desire to run out into the main room of the hotel room and eat the entire meal.

He went out a few minutes later, dressed in some of the clothes that Chris had left out for him on the foot of the bed. His tazer and his firearm were secured in his belt, and his hair fell loosely around his face because he didn't have his hair gel. His suitcase sat on the floor by the door. Chris must've gone over to his hotel room and retrieved it after Phil had passed out. Speaking of that, he was surprised that he wasn't sorer. Every so often, there was a sharp spark of pain in his lower back, but other than that he felt as he normally did. Save for the queasiness in his stomach. That was new.

"Phil!" Chris smiled at him warmly. "I was beginning to think that you would never get out of bed! Here, sit down and have some breakfast. I hope that you like pancakes and bacon."

Phil's stomach turned at the smell of the delicious food, but he nodded anyway. He knew that he needed to eat. "Yeah. I'm sure that it's better than my cooking. Selene always complained that I burned the pancakes."

Chris chuckled. "Well, these definitely aren't burned. They're nice and fluffy. Isn't that right, Ash?"

Ash turned his big blue eyes onto his father. "Right, Daddy!"

"How many pancakes would you like, Phil?" Chris asked expectantly. He already had a plate out and everything.

Phil looked down at his hands, which trembled at his sides. This in itself was unusual. "I'll have two pancakes." Chris was about to ask him about the bacon, but Phil beat him to it. "No bacon. I don't like bacon."

Chris nodded. "Okay. Two pancakes and no bacon it is, then."

Ash looked at Phil excitedly. "Come and sit next to me, Phil!"

Chris smiled as he watched Phil sit down next to his son. The little boy than proceeded to tell him everything and anything that he could, extremely excited to see the man that he called his 'hero' again. Shortly after Ash had first met Phil, he had told Chris that he wanted to be a police officer when he was older. Chris was thankful that Ash finally had a role model that wasn't a dancing purple dinosaur or some form of cartoon character. Phil was a wholesome influence on his children who obviously cared for them deeply. Chris handed over the plate of food to Phil and watched him slowly start to eat.

Once Phil had finished eating, they started to pack up to head out to the tour bus so that they could reach their next destination by tomorrow night. However, before they could make it too far, there was a knock on the door. Chris frowned, looking down at his watch. It was 6:45 AM. Who the hell would want to bother him at 6:45 AM? His question was soon answered as he walked over to the door and opened it. A frazzled maid stood on the other side of the door, her hands trembling as she looked at him with teary eyes. She had a dark flush on her wrinkled face.

"Is there a Mr. Brooks here?" She asked, her accent extremely thick.

"Yes, he's over here. Why?" No-one knew that he had brought Phil to his hotel room last night, so why was this woman suddenly interested in his whereabouts. "Who sent you?"

"I need to speak with him immediately." She said assertively.

Chris was unsure, but Phil came to the door anyway. "I'm Phil Brooks. What do you need?"

The woman handed him a stack of pictures, before she took hold of his hands tenderly and said, "I am sorry. So very, very sorry."

Confused and now a little more than alarmed, Phil drew back into the hotel room and filed through the pictures. A dark flush came over his face when he realized what they were. Each had been taken in the middle of his heated encounter with Chris the night before. Some were extremely intimate shots as well. Chris came over, wanting to know what had the ravenette so upset, but Phil hurriedly pressed them to his chest. Not wanting to upset the tattooed officer, Chris backed off. When he was a safe distance away, Phil turned the last photo over and found a note written on the back.

_**Dearest Phil,**_

_**You lied to me. You told me that you would stay away from my husband and my children, and what do I find? The loyal officer of the law in bed with the rock star. It's despicable. You sicken me, Phil Brooks. But I also have to say 'thank you'. Your budding relationship with Chris may be exactly what I need to win the custody battle. Just think how much he'll love you then. You'd be responsible for taking his children from him. The lights of his world. You have to realize that, no matter how much he claims to adore you, you'll always come in second to his children. And that puts a smile on my face. Enjoy the pictures, Phil. Soon, they'll be all you have left.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Jessica Irvine**_

Phil's stomach turned on him and, before Chris could say a word, he ran back to the bathroom and emptied the contents of his stomach once more…

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	11. Nerves

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 11/? – Nerves

**OOOO**

Once he finally had control of his wayward stomach, they boarded the tour bus and set off for their next destination. Phil had returned to his seat next to Chris, his knees drawn into his chest and a lemon-lime soda in his trembling hands. He'd rather drink a Diet Pepsi, but Chris said that lemon-lime was better for his stomach. Chris' calm blue eyes studied him as he drank. He rubbed Phil's tattooed arm reassuringly, and Phil felt his erratic heartbeat calm. And once his heartbeat calmed, the nausea went away. Phil breathed in relief – it had only been nerves after all.

Chris leaned over and kissed his forehead softly. Phil didn't have to worry about any unwanted voyeurs, as most of the other band members and dancers sat toward the front of the bus. And he didn't want to admit it, but Chris' touch _did_ things to him. The body of a man who was in love with his girlfriend should _not_ act like this; but then, Phil reasoned, he hadn't loved Beth in a very, _very_ long time. So, when Chris reached over and pressed the little button that caused the shades to block out visibility in the windows, Phil only smirked and continued to drink his soda.

When Chris knelt in front of Phil, tenderly sliding his feet down off of the chair and onto the floor, Phil felt that he had to say _something_. "What about the kids? Ash could walk by at any minute."

Chris shook his head. "Not many kids like to wake up at five in the morning just so they can get on a bus to travel somewhere they've never been. He's knocked out cold, and so are Cheyenne and Sierra. You don't have to worry about them."

Chris slowly unbuttoned Phil's shorts and slid them down, and his boxers followed suit. "What… what about one of the other band members? What if they come back and want to know what the noise _is_…."

Chris smirked as he ran his nail over the head of Phil's leaking cock. "They sleep like the dead. It'll be fine. I promise."

"F-Fine…" Phil could say no more as Chris took him into his mouth, before he prodded at his entrance with a wet finger. Not even having time to think about where the lube came from, Chris slid into the warm sheath and started to stretch him.

Easily, Chris drew Phil to the brink of orgasm. Releasing the erect cock with a wet _pop_, he climbed back into his chair and released his own aching member. Phil was a little nervous. Honestly, the photos were still fresh in his mind and he didn't want to think about the excitement that Jessica would receive if she somehow managed to get another batch. His hesitation caused Chris to frown. The blond leaned over and kissed him tenderly, gently rubbing his arms as he coaxed him over. Finally, Phil relented. His climbed onto Chris, who was still mostly dressed, and slid down onto him in one fluid motion.

Chris swallowed Phil's moan, as well as his own, in a kiss. They moved as best they could in the current confines, Chris' thrusts short and choppy. But it was enough to get constant friction on Phil's cock as well as constant abuse on his prostate. Already close to the edge from the blowjob, Phil came in a matter of minutes. He slumped against Chris, exhausted. Chris held him tight as he finished off in him, claiming Phil as no-one else had. Phil was officially his, and he'd be damned if he'd let anyone else have him. Beautifully exhausted olive eyes looked to him and Chris smiled.

Chris cleaned off Phil's stomach with a spare shirt, before he took out a blanket from underneath the seat of the tour bus and tucked it around Phil. "Sleep now. I'll wake you up when we arrive at the rest stop."

Phil nodded tiredly. "Okay." And then he succumbed to sleep.

**MEANWHILE**

"Judge McMahon? I'm very sorry to bother you, but I'm here on emergency business from Commissioner O'Shaughnessy." Dolph said. "I need a warrant to search the house of Beth Phoenix. We believe that she may be planning to commit murder."

Vince McMahon narrowed his eyes at the officer, before he turned to the two scantily clad lawyers on the other side of his desk. "Naomi, Cameron, we will resume this conversation at a later date."

The two lawyers smiled and nodded. "Of course, Mr. McMahon." Then, they waved at Dolph flirtatiously. "Bye, Dolph."

Vince then turned to Dolph, a frown on his face. He usually had that look on his face when he needed to yell at someone. Unfortunately, it looked like Dolph would be that 'someone'. "What the hell do you want, Ziggler?"

"Um, like I said earlier sir, I'm here on emergency business from Commissioner O'Shaughnessy." Dolph said assertively.

"Oh." Vince liked Sheamus. And, for now, Dolph was willing to hide behind that. "Well, then, what is this 'business'?"

Dolph handed him a file. "I need a warrant to search the house of Beth Phoenix, your honor."

Vince looked over the file. It was a collaboration of all of the evidence that they had gathered about Jessica Irvine and all of the stuff that she had done, from owning and operating a firearm without a license to numerous domestic disturbances. Dolph had also printed out and enlarged the text messages that Jessica and Beth had sent to him and added them to the file. But the most damning piece of evidence was the fact that they had drained Phil's bank account for all that they could. What did they plan to use that money for? This, and many other questions, circled around that file.

"Fine." Vince signed the warrant and dated it, before he handed it to Dolph. "You have one chance, Dolph. You're walking that thin blue line, and when – and I know you will – you fall off, there won't be a safety net to catch you."

Dolph nodded uncertainly. "Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

**FIVE HOURS LATER**

It had taken a little bit of convincing, but Chris had finally managed to get Phil to come on another date with him. When they arrived in Ohio, Chris had asked Zack to watch the kids for a few hours. Zack was elated at the idea. With a little one on the way, he wanted to know exactly what to expect and was more than happy to assist Chris in his time of need. Chris had chosen to go to the local Jim's Buffet, which served a mixture of Chinese and American food. They were seated immediately and ordered their drinks. Chris ordered a Coke, while Phil stuck with water.

"So, Phil, do you have any idea what caused your nausea this morning?" Chris asked, still worried about the smaller man. No-one deserved to be sick like that.

Phil shook his head, kind of disinterested with the entire subject. "Not really. I chalked it up to nerves with the whole Jessica thing." But he didn't elaborate on that. "I feel much better now, but I'll be careful." He swore.

"Good." Chris nodded absently. "I can't have my head of security sick, now can I?"

Phil's face fell, but he tried not to show it. He had hoped that there was another reason that Chris was worried about him. "Guess you can't, huh?" He chuckled bitterly.

Chris looked at him, concerned. "Are you sure that you're okay, Phil?"

"I'm fine." Phil bit back bitterly.

Chris took the not-so-subtle hint and backed off of the subject. Both men went over to the buffet and fixed their meals. Chris filled his plate with broiled salmon, two slices of beef, and some pork fried rice. Phil remained on the mild side with a bowl of hot and sour soup. When they returned to their table, they ate in silence. Chris was afraid that he would say something to further upset Phil, while Phil was waiting for Chris to make the first move. However, the meal came to an end without either working up the nerve to voice how they truly felt. Chris still had room for dessert, but the ravenette was still eyeing his cold bowl of soup.

"Do you want dessert?" Chris asked. Phil looked up at him, a little shocked that Chris had finally broken the silence, and a little insulted that he had only broken it to ask him if he wanted more to eat.

"No." Phil said coldly.

Once more, Chris backed off. He paid the man at the front desk for his services, before he took Phil by the hand and led him out of the restaurant. Phil couldn't help but feel like he was being treated like a little kid who had disobeyed and disappointed his parents, and the minute that they were outside of the restaurant, he yanked his hand out of Chris' and started to walk away. But Chris was faster, and he quickly moved to stand in front of Phil. The ravenette blinked at him slowly, trying to comprehend how the blond could be so idiotic at times and so brilliant at others.

"What's the matter with you, Phil?" Chris asked, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn't want to attract any unwanted attention. Phil was upset enough as it was. "On the bus, you're fine. And then we go into the restaurant and you hate me!"

"Maybe you had the wrong notion about how I felt about you." Phil shot back, his eyes narrowed. The ravenette didn't take too kindly to having his heart trampled like it was meaningless.

"No. I _know_ how you feel about me, Phil. I could see it in your eyes in the hotel room and I could see it in your eyes on the bus. Why deny it now? It's not fair to me and it's certainly not fair to _you_." Chris said.

"It's not fair to me, huh?" Phil snapped back just as viciously. "How is it fair to tear a hole into my heart like it's a fucking sheet of paper? How is it fair to run circles around a man who doesn't know love, but only to fear the one's that he loves?"

"What do you mean?" But Phil turned away from him. "Phil. Phil, look at me. Tell me what you meant!"

Phil shook his head and looked down at the sidewalk. "First, there was AJ. She said she loved me, and then she sent her _real_ boyfriend to throw me down some concrete stairs. Then, there was Kaitlin. She wanted to get even for AJ and had her brother put me in the hospital for a week. And Beth, well, she'll come after me with an ax once she finds out about this…"

"You really have bad luck with love, don't you?" Chris snickered, even if it really wasn't all that funny.

Phil just looked at him, before he shook his head. He couldn't believe that he had just spilled the last twelve years of his life to a man that he had only known for a few weeks. Make that two and a half weeks. A dark flush came over his cheeks when he realized that he had _slept_ with the man after knowing him for only two and a half weeks. He was just a slut. And now that Chris knew the truth, he wouldn't want him anymore. But wasn't that what he wanted? He wanted Chris to be happy with his children, and that meant that he couldn't be with him. Life sucked, royally.

But then, Chris managed to surprise him one more time. He leaned in and kissed him fiercely. Because, the truth was, Chris didn't care about all of the failed relationships that Phil had had in the past. He could fix the holes that they had left in Phil's heart. He would defend Phil from his psycho (soon to be ex-) girlfriend. There was no way that he could tell whether or not this would become love, but he knew that he cared deeply for this man. And he wasn't about to let some heartbreaking past come between them.

Little did he know that the aforementioned 'heartbreaking past' was the least of their worries…

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	12. Lawyers are Parasites

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 12/? – Lawyers are Parasites

**OOOO**

Hunter Hearst Helmsley, a lawyer from Connecticut, couldn't have asked for a better life. He had a husband whom he loved and their first child was to be born in October. His husband, Mark Calaway, was a Process Server. They worked closely with the CPD and Police Commissioner Sheamus O'Shaughnessy. In fact, Hunter was the lawyer who was often called in to defend the clients taken into the station. So, when Hunter received a call from a heartbroken woman who said that she was desperate to gain custody of her three children, his heart went out to her and he invited her over to talk about her situation.

On the day that she arrived, Mark was out with his little brother Kane. Hunter wasn't sure what they were doing, but then, he wasn't too sure if he _wanted_ to know. She came to his house around 10:15 AM, and he allowed her inside and told her to take a seat at the table while he fixed them both some tea. He mixed in some caramel and a spoonful of sugar, before he set both of their cups on the table and took a seat across from her. The woman dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, before she thanked him for the tea and took a drink. From the first time that he looked at her, Hunter knew that he didn't like her.

"My name is Jessica Irvine and I used to be married to Chris Irvine, a member of the band 'Fozzy'. We were in love, until he decided to ruin what we had a kiss a man. It was horrendous and I immediately filed for a divorce." Jessica said.

Hunter raised a dark blond eyebrow. "So… the reason that you want full custody of your children is because your ex-husband is homosexual? He hasn't harmed the children in any manner, or threatened you somehow?"

"Of course not! He still loves me!" Jessica looked affronted. Hunter could see very clearly that this woman was delusional. "That is not the reason I want full custody of my children. I want custody because I don't trust the man that he associates himself with."

"Who is this man?" Hunter asked, disinterested. It would seem rather hypocritical of him to defend a homophobic woman.

"Officer Phil Brooks." The woman scoffed. "My Chris doesn't understand what that man has done! He doesn't understand that he drove his own father to rehab!"

This, however, struck Hunter as odd. How did she know so much about this man? "How?"

"He's his mother's bastard son!" Jessica exclaimed.

Hunter drank some of his tea, before he looked the woman in the eye. "Ma'am, I'll level with you. I'm sorry that your husband isn't interested anymore. But that doesn't mean that you can ruin his life and take his kids from him. That's not the law."

"You don't understand, sir! My husband was a good man. He loved me and our children very much. And then, this _bastard_ comes into the picture and ruins it all!" Jessica hissed. "He turned my husband into a different man!"

"So, you believe that, because your husband is now a homosexual, he isn't fit to be a father?" Hunter hissed, his hand resting on his own baby bump protectively. Jessica didn't notice the action and nodded furiously. "You're sorely mistaken, ma'am."

"Look, will you help me get custody of my kids or not?" Jessica bit out.

"I'm sorry, but you asked the wrong lawyer to help you. You see, I've been happily married to a _man_ for ten years now. And I can't turn my back on my beliefs like that." Hunter said flatly.

Hunter didn't expect the woman to rise out of her chair so quickly that she jostled the table, causing her cup of tea to fall over and splatter the hot, sweet liquid all over the wooden surface. She stormed over to the other side of the table and raised her hand, striking Hunter hard on the cheek. The dirty blond raised a hand to the heated flesh, glaring at Jessica as she gathered her stuff underneath her arm and stormed out of his house in a huff. That woman made him more than a little uncomfortable. He was thankful that a slap to the cheek was all that he had received…

Slowly, he rose out of the chair and stretched. Taking a washcloth out of the kitchen, he cleaned up the mess that Jessica had made and took the cups out into the kitchen. As he was washing the dishes, Mark returned home. His briefcase was filled with new papers that he would have to serve the next day. He set his briefcase down on the table and walked over to Hunter, wrapping his arms around the smaller man's waist. Mark kissed the smaller man's blond head and rubbed his baby bump slowly, before his eyes fell on the redness of Hunter's cheek.

He was about to ask Hunter what had happened, but Hunter turned off of the water and dried his hands, before he leaned up and kissed his husband. He really didn't want to talk about it, and Mark could see that clearly in his eyes. Not wanting to push it further, Mark led him into the den and sat down on the couch, pulling Hunter down with him. They turned on the television and Mark shifted the smaller man's body so that he could lie across Mark's lap. Hunter closed his hazel eyes and stretched out, relishing in the comfort that his husband provided.

**MEANWHILE**

Bret and his team of 'trainers' traveled with the band on tour to ensure that no-one became injured in the complicated dance routines or overworked from the constant time on the road. Bret had been married to the manager of Fozzy, Shawn Michaels, for several years. Bret and Shawn had come to be like unofficial parents to Chris – not that he would ever tell Shawn that, because Shawn would turn it around into calling him old – and Chris trusted them above all else. This was the reason that, an hour before the show, Chris took Phil to see Bret.

He took Bret to the side and explained to him the mess with Jessica and how tense Phil had been, minus a few details. For example, he didn't mention the fact that Jessica seemed to have a vendetta against him and had sent him some sort of picture that had embarrassed him. Bret nodded and accepted what Chris had told him to be the truth. He told Phil to take off his shirt and to climb onto the massage table. Chewing on his mint gum, he slicked his hands in the warm massage oil and started to work the kinks out of Phil's back. A few minutes later, the ravenette relaxed under the tender touch.

"Phil?" Chris took a seat across from the table and looked the man (his boyfriend, lover, friends with benefits?) in the eye. "Do you want a drink? A soda, some water, coffee? Or would you rather have a snack?"

"Um…" Phil let out a moan as Bret found a thick knot at the base of his spine and loosened it with ease. "A Diet Pepsi would be nice." He said.

Chris called over Curt Hawkins, best friend of Zack Ryder and the man in charge of nutrition for the band. "I need a Diet Pepsi."

Curt nodded, his blond hair bouncing on his shoulders. "Sure. Anything else?"

Chris looked to Phil, who shook his head. "That'll be all, Curt. I'll reimburse you for the soda later."

"Sure." Curt knew that Chris' word was good. He went out to the soda machine outside and bought a Diet Pepsi, before he came back and handed it to Phil. "Just so you know, I'm Curt Hawkins. Or, as Zack likes to call me, the Snack Guy."

Phil smirked. "Nice to meet you, Snack Guy." He extended his hand and they shook. "I'm Phil Brooks, the Security Guy."

Chris smirked. He could tell that a friendship was already starting to blossom between them. Truth be told, it was kind of hard not to like Curt. Sure, he could be an asshole at times. But he was the kind of asshole that was almost _funny_ with how idiotic he was. Curt walked out and Chris unscrewed the lid off of the Pepsi bottle, before he touched it to Phil's pierced lip and tilted it back. Bret chuckled softly to himself. He had never seen Chris so enamored with someone, not even Jessica. He must really care for this man. He could only hope that it worked out for them.

Phil's olive eyes flickered up to meet Chris' icy blue. He drank until he was full, and then Chris took the bottle back and put the lid back on. "Is your stomach still okay? Do you want me to call Curt back for some lemon-lime soda?"

"I'm fine, Chris." Phil denied, before he let out another moan as Bret started to work the tension out of his shoulders. Chris, a bit distrustful of this, took out his bottle of water and prodded the mouthpiece against Phil's pierced lips. "What?"

"I want you to drink some water." Chris insisted.

"I swear, Chris. I'm… not… dizzy." Phil bit back, a little frustrated at being treated like a child.

Chris frowned, before he slid the mouthpiece over Phil's mouth teasingly. "Please, Phil? Do this for me? You only have to take one sip, and then I'll leave you alone. I swear."

"Fine." Phil rolled his eyes, but relented and opened his mouth. Chris stuck the mouthpiece in his mouth and squeezed the water bottle gently, watching as Phil's throat flexed as he drank. It really shouldn't have been a sexual action, but it was.

Bret finished with about fifteen minutes left before the show. Gently, he made Phil sit up and he washed the excess body oil off of his body. Phil thanked him with a small smile and slid off of the table. He felt a lot better than he had before. All of the kinks were out of his back and the nausea had left him. However, he still had intentions to go and find some saltines while the first half of the show went on. Chris thanked Bret profusely, but the older Canadian simply brushed it off. He was there whenever Chris needed him, and that was all that mattered.

Chris took Phil by the hand and led him out into the hall, rubbing the smaller man's hand with his thumb. It wasn't an overtly romantic gesture, but it was enough to say that he was there for him and he didn't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. When he couldn't spend any more time with Phil, he kissed the ravenette's cheek and went off to join his band on the stage. Phil took his seat in the back, pulling out his science-fiction novel and picking up where he left off. He didn't even notice when a familiar, unwanted blond came to stand in front of him. There was a sinister smirk on her face…

Seconds later, his cell buzzed in his pocket. It was his lawyer, Hunter.

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	13. Pain

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 13/? – Pain

**OOOO**

Phil never had the chance to answer that call. He barely had time to tear his eyes away from the book in his hands before Jessica attacked, her nails claiming a decent chunk of Phil's unharmed cheek. The ravenette's heart hammered madly in his chest as he felt the hot blood trickle down what was left of his cheek. It hurt like hell and there was literally blood _everywhere_. But Jessica was far from done with him. When she took hold of his hair and yanked his head to the side, Phil could see the impression of a firearm in her slacks. She meant business. This time, she had come to finish it.

Now, Phil wasn't one to hurt a woman. He had too much respect for them to ever raise a hand to one. However, a woman with the intent and means to inflict serious harm on him _or_ someone else was a different story. She reached for the firearm and he reacted. He took out his tazer and aimed, and before she could make another move, shot her and stunned her into a temporary paralytic state. The firearm fell out of her hand when she fell to the floor, and Phil immediately rose and kicked it away from her body. She lay there and blinked at him, unable to move most of her body.

"Ah, shit." Phil tucked his tazer back into his belt and knelt down beside Jessica's body, before he checked her vitals to ensure that she would be okay. "I am _so_ screwed now."

What should he do? What should he do? It's not like he'd never tazed someone before. But he had never tazed someone who was a little bit on the crazy side and desired full custody of the children that she had with her ex-husband who Phil had happened to sleep with twice before either. Man, his life sounded like a soap opera. And a bad one at that. Finally, he took out his phone and called Hunter. There had to be a way out of this whole mess that _wouldn't_ incur the wrath of the harpy witch. Slowly, he touched a hand to his neck. The flow of blood was still fast and furious. In fact, he felt a little dizzy…

Hunter answered soon after the call had been made. _"Phil? What's the matter? Did you have a run-in with Jessica?"_

"Yeah. You could say that." Phil wheezed. It was hard to breath and he had lost a lot of blood. "Listen, I think that I'm in trouble. Jessica, she… she came at me and assaulted me, and then she tried to shoot me."

"_It sounds like a classic case of self-defense, Phil. She would've killed you and could've hurt someone else."_ Hunter consoled him. _"Is their more to the story then that?"_

Phil made a choked little sound. "I think that she'll try to use this as evidence to the fact that I'm a bad influence on the kids. She'll claim that I assaulted her and try to take this to court."

Hunter was silent for a moment, before he said, _"Listen, Phil. I want you to look around and see if you can find a security camera. Do you see one?"_

Phil did as he was told. Immediately, his eyes locked on one of the cameras. "Yeah. I see one."

"_Good."_ Hunter said softly. _"I'll contact the place and see if I can get a hold of the video tape, okay? We won't let her walk away from this one." _Hunter assured him. _"Now, I want you to get the neck looked at, okay?"_

"I'm fine, really." Phil tried to lie, but the pain he felt was obvious in his voice. "It's just a little bit of blood. I'm more interested in the reason you called earlier."

"_We can talk about that later, Phil. Dial 911 and get her body out of there before her kids find her. And take care of yourself, kid."_ Hunter ordered.

"Fine." Phil relented. Phil ended the call and slid down the wall slowly.

When he had said 'a little bit' of blood, he had actually meant that it had already soaked a handkerchief and bled onto his hands. He knew that he needed an ambulance and fast, but who would work security detail while he was at the ER? Hesitantly, he cast his olive eyes down toward the immobile blond woman. She moaned softly as another tremor wracked her body. Phil felt awful about what he had done, but what else _could_ he have done? He knew that it was extremely likely that she would have shot him had he not acted in the manner that he had, but still, this was Chris' ex-wife…

Slowly, ever so slowly, he rose to his feet. The first time that he did so, his feet went out from underneath him and he fell back down. Never before had he wished for a lemon-lime soda so much. His stomach turned and threatened to make him lose all of the contents of his stomach. Casting one last look down at Jessica's body, he took out his phone and dialed 911. Or, he tried to dial 911. His hands trembled so much that it took him several tries to hit the correct numbers, but once he had, he slumped on the wall and listened to the dial tone.

"_911, what's your emergency?"_

"This is Officer Phil Brooks," he gave the address of the place, before he continued; "I have a wound on my neck which was bleeding profusely and a woman here that I had to taze. I need assistance."

"_Okay, sir."_ The operator said. _"We'll send an ambulance and a squad car over right away."_

**TWO HOURS LATER**

"Where's Phil?" Chris came back to find a new man on the head of security, with a sanitation team cleaning up blood splatter from the walls and floor. It made Chris more than a little uneasy. "And who the fuck are you?"

The man looked a little startled. "I'm Tyson Kidd from the CPD. Commissioner Laureinitis sent me over immediately after he heard what happened to Officer Brooks -,"

Chris came a little bit closer to the smaller man, intimidating him. He couldn't have been more than a buck ninety-five soaking wet. "_What_ happened to Officer Brooks?"

"Your ex-wife tried to claw his throat out, sir." Tyson choked out.

All of the color drained out of Chris' face. "Where is he now?"

"He was taken to the ER, sir. And Jessica was taken into custody until Officer Brooks decides if he wants to press charges for assault." Tyson said.

Chris couldn't believe this. He knew that Jessica had a few moments where she was a little around the bend, but he had never believed that she would actually hurt someone. But then, at the same time, he wasn't all that surprised. The only time that he had seen Jessica between the time that she had ordered the divorce and that moment had been when she had exited the hotel with scissors and knife in hand. At the time, he hadn't known what she had done with them, but now it all made sense. Quickly, he took out his cell and dialed Phil's number.

Phil answered, his voice slurred with sedatives. _"Hello."_

"What the hell, Phil? I come back here after the show to find some _kid_ is here in your place. And then, he tells me that Jessica _attacked_ you? I have a feeling that you've been lying to me about this, Phil. What's going on with you and Jessica?"

"_Did I ever tell you that you talk really, really loud?"_ Phil slurred. _"Nothing is going on with me and Jessica. I just fell and tore a hole in my throat. It's nothin' to worry about."_

"Somehow, I don't believe that." Chris said. "Are you still in the ER, or have they admitted you to the hospital?"

"_I'm about to be released back to my duties. I just have to sleep off this damn pain medication…"_ Phil trailed.

Chris nodded to himself. "Okay. Don't move. I'll come and take you back to the hotel, okay? I don't want you to drive yourself if you're on that much pain medication."

Phil was silent for a moment, before he said, _"Okay."_

Once more, Chris left his children in Zack's care, before he ran out to his rental car and rushed off in the direction of the hospital. What reason did Phil have to lie to him about this? If Jessica had hurt Phil, then Chris needed to know. He had been looking for a reason for Shawn to take her off the tour, and a physical conflict with Phil was more than enough reason to do so. So why would Phil lie about that? He shook his head as he slowly came to a stop at a red light. And, to make matters even worse, it started to rain. Today was _wonderful_.

Chris reasoned that he would talk it out with Phil when the younger man was in a better state of mind. At the moment, he was hurting and on so much medication that he probably didn't even remember his own name. He needed to rest and this time, Chris was going to keep a closer eye on him. The police officer wasn't going to escape his sight for the next forty-eight hours. And the only reason that he was willing to part then was because he had a show to do and it wasn't as if he could bring the other man onto the stage with him. Nevertheless, he would have his answers.

When he arrived at the hospital, he went to the front desk and smiled at the bubbly brunette. "Hello. I'm Christopher Irvine. I'm here to pick up a friend of mine, Phil Brooks. He would've come in with an injury to his neck."

The brunette nodded. "Oh, yes. Officer Brooks. That was truly a shame. He seems like such a nice man." The brunette shook her head, brown curls bouncing on her shoulders. "I just need to see some identification."

"Of course." Chris handed her his driver's license. The brunette ran it, before she handed it back to him.

"He's in bed three." She said calmly.

Chris smiled and winked at her. "Thanks, sweetheart."

He went back into the ER and found bed three. Phil was there, his knees drawn into his chest. His eyes were hazed over from a mixture of the pain and the pain medication. He had his papers and was free to leave at any time. Immediately, Chris' icy blue eyes were drawn to the new gauze pad on his neck. Taking Phil's arm, he slid his arm over his shoulder and helped him off of the bed. Together, they walked out to the car. Chris carefully slid the smaller man's prone body onto the seat and buckled him in, before he went around the other side and started the car. They drove back to the hotel in silence.

**MEANWHILE**

Jessica batted her eyelashes at the Commissioner of Police of the Columbus Police Department, a man known as John Laureinitis. John was known for his controversial history with the law, from run-ins in Chicago that had been expunged from the record to allegedly sleeping with the mayor to earn his position on the force. Somehow, Jessica had learned of this history and she knew that, with a little bit of manipulation, she would be out from behind bars before that bastard could press charges. She wasn't about to let him take her children from her.

She stuck out her bottom lip tantalizingly and swayed her hips back and forth, showing a little bit too much skin in her skin-tight black dress. The interest was more than obvious in John's eyes. Swaying her body a little bit more, she walked back and forth in her cell, dragging her nails over the iron bars. John swallowed hard. Slowly, she motioned for him to come over. He did so, the keys trembling in his hands. It took him a few tries, but he finally unlocked the cell and took Jessica by the arm, leading her out into the main area. She smirked at him, before she shoved him down into a chair and slid into his lap.

"Commissioner… what do you say we start negotiating the terms of my release?"

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	14. A New Plot

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 14/? – A New Plot

**OOOO**

John Laureinitis sat in his chair, exhausted from what had to be the best sex that he had had in this lifetime. His blue eyes were barely even slits as he watched Jessica walk around the room in a thin black dress that left little to the imagination. She bent down and retrieved his belt, which held his firearm and his tazer. Her firearm had been confiscated back at the stadium. She took his out now and looked it over carefully. It was a little heavier then she was used to, but it wasn't too difficult to become accustomed to it. She turned around to face the commissioner with a sinister smile.

With one flamboyant wave of her arm, she cleared off his entire desk and slid her lithe body onto the polished wooden surface. She moved her body in such a way so that her red lace bra or thong was always visible to the commissioner, which kept his attention off of the fact that she packed some serious heat in her left hand. Jessica turned around and spread herself out so that she had one bare foot on either arm of the swivel chair, and she drew him in so that he sat between her legs. Just when he was lured into a false sense of security, she touched the mouth of the firearm to his bare chest.

"Well, Commissioner Laureinitis, I have to say that that was… mediocre, at best. My husband is _much_ better in bed." Here, she slid the firearm down his body slowly. The cold metal made him shiver. "It's truly a shame that it has to end like this, however."

"N-No." The commissioner could barely choke out the words. He was utterly terrified, and, somehow, excited at the same time.

Jessica chuckled bitterly. "Goodbye, Commissioner Laureinitis. Oh, and thanks for the gun. It'll help a lot."

A loud _bang_ filled the vacant station as she fired one shot into his stomach. With that position, it would most likely hit one of his kidneys and he would be dead in a matter of minutes. Jessica slid off of the desk and hit the emergency button located underneath. The loud wail of a siren filled the station, and seconds later, Officer Kaitlin answered the call. Jessica killed her with an execution shot. Quickly, before more officers could come onto the scene, she stripped Kaitlin of her uniform and dressed her in the thin black dress that Jessica had worn, before she slid into the uniform.

Jessica looked enough like Kaitlin to throw them off for a little while. She took the keys to the police cruiser out of the uniform pocket and quickly located the vehicle that they were for. The other officers didn't even spare her a second glance as she walked out the front doors of the station, the blood of two officers on her hands. Carefully, she slid into the car and took off in a random direction. She needed to think. Not only had she just committed murder, but she had killed two police officers. That would take her chances at full custody of her children down a few notches…

But that didn't matter – at least, not _now_. She had lots of time to think about her family and her children, after she decided her next move. She would need a new plan. It would be a lot harder to take-out Phil now that she had murder charges on her back. And if she came up to him with a gun again, then he would most likely do a lot more than taze her. Think. Think. Think. She bit down on her bottom lip so hard that a thin puddle of blood burst through the delicate skin, and two drops stained her uniform. Not that she noticed or would have cared if she had.

"That doesn't matter. I know what I have to do." Jessica started to mumble to herself. "I have to head back to the hotel and rejoin the tour. Lie and say that I was released because Phil didn't have evidence to back his story up. He'll look like a liar."

If only Jessica realized how foolish her idea sounded, even to her own ears…

**MEANWHILE**

"Please, tell me what she did to you. Please, Phil?" Chris didn't whine, but he was on the verge of begging. If he needed to, he would have Jessica forcibly removed from the tour if she continued to threaten Phil.

"I'm fine, Chris." Phil lied. His voice was still slurred from the medication. "She didn't hurt me. I was the one who hurt her. Just like I hurt everyone else in my life…"

Obviously, putting the ravenette on extreme amounts of pain medication was the only way to force him to talk. "What do you mean, Phil? Who else have you hurt?"

Phil had a distant look on his face. Chris wondered what it was that he remembered. "I was little, maybe eleven or twelve, when my mother was paralyzed. My father was a drunkard, so he wasn't much help either. So I raised my little sister."

"That's very admirable of you, Phil – to take on all that responsibility at that age." Chris said.

Phil just shook his head slowly. "When she was a little baby, I dropped her in the kitchen. It was an accident… just an accident. But she hit her head and she wasn't moving. I was so scared, and I was all alone, so I took her to the hospital by myself."

Chris looked at the smaller man, concerned. "What did the doctor say?"

"He said that she would be fine. I should be more careful next time. But then he called our father." Phil closed his eyes and started to shake. "He was so drunk… so, so drunk. You could smell it on him from the other side of the hospital."

Chris took Phil's trembling hands in his and kissed them softly. He could tell that Phil was on the verge of a breakthrough, he just needed to make it the rest of the way there. "What, Phil? You can trust me. I won't hurt you."

"He yelled at me. He was so loud that he woke the neighbors, but he didn't care. And then… then he took off his belt… and he…" tears streaked down Phil's face like mad, and if he was in any other state, Chris knew he would be ashamed of his reaction.

"Shh… it's okay, Phil. Whatever he did, he can't hurt you now." Chris assured him.

"He… he told me to take off my shirt. And then, he folded his belt… and he smacked me on the back of the neck. Harder and harder and harder… on every inch of skin that he could reach. And then he ordered me to take off my pants. I screamed so loud, but when I woke Selene, he only hit me harder." Phil cried tearfully.

Chris took the smaller man into his arms and held him, even if he was sure that he wasn't done. When Phil bent to return the embrace, he could see the faint outline of several of the whips that had scarred his back. "Phil…"

"And then, he clubbed me over the back of the head with his bottle of alcohol. I hit the floor so hard I think I lost consciousness for a minute. He asked me how it felt to bounce on the tile floor. I didn't answer, and he hit me even harder."

"Phil…" Chris wanted Phil to stop, but Phil was too lost in his own mind to care.

Phil continued, "He told me that I was my mother's bastard son. If I were really his son, if I were really a man, I would've hit him back. I would've tried to defend myself. It's true. I'm _not_ his son. I never was."

Chris silenced him with a soft kiss. Phil's voice sounded so tortured as he uttered those words, as if he truly believed that he deserved to be beaten within an inch of his life by his own _father_. That man made Chris sick. No wonder Phil felt responsible for whatever had happened with Jessica. He had respect for women so deeply ingrained into his skin that he knew little else. Slowly, Chris rocked him back and forth and held him as he finished out his crying. He would help Phil through this. He would help him move on from his troubled past. Or he would die trying.

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Sorry that this chapter is so short! Please Review!


	15. A Call From Hunter

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 15/? – A Call From Hunter

**OOOO**

There were still two days before the band had to hit the road for Cincinnati, Ohio. Chris had every intention of two days of relaxation. Phil hadn't left his side since he had come back to the hotel from the ER. Chris had dutifully changed the gauze pad over his would in the morning, and he made sure that Phil didn't so much as lift a finger until he absolutely had to. Chris drew the line at assisting the man in the bathroom – there were just some boundaries that didn't need to be crossed. Now, Phil reclined on the bed, another Batman movie on the flat-screen television.

Chris would never understand Phil's fascination with Batman. No, it wasn't simply fascination. It was idolization. If Batman could've come out of the screen and hugged Phil, the Phil would have been in Seventh Heaven. Chris shook his head affectionately as he carried in a tray with decaffeinated tea (caffeine was a drug, after all), some buttered toast, bacon, hash browns, and pancakes. The lady that took the orders for room service had been extremely kind and had told him if he wanted or needed anymore stuff, to ask for Marie. Chris set the tray down beside Phil and waited.

The ravenette turned to face him, one dark eyebrow raised. "Yes?"

"Oh, nothing." Chris shook his head, amused. "I just think that this is the first time that you've said a word since the Batman marathon came on. It's nice to hear your voice."

Phil took the tea and started to drink. "The Columbus Police Department's Police Commissioner was murdered yesterday. It's all over the news. There's evidence that he had his slacks around his ankles when it occurred. And an officer was killed too."

All traces of amusement left Chris' face. "Anyone you knew?"

"I knew them both. The Police Commissioner was a bastard and the officer was one of my ex's." Phil said.

"The one who had her boyfriend throw you down the stairs?" Chris asked. "Or the one whose brother put you in the hospital."

"The one whose brother put me in the hospital." Phil confessed. "Her name was Kaitlin."

Carefully, Chris set the tray on the foot of the bed and climbed in beside Phil. Phil hadn't mentioned his little breakdown from earlier, so Chris hadn't mentioned it. He didn't want to make Phil uncomfortable. The ravenette shifted and made to scratch at his stitches, before he remembered what Jessica did to him, and his hands reluctantly fell down to his sides. That was the other thing. Chris had been unable to obtain any more information about the attack. Tentatively, Chris reached out and traced the rectangular pad over Phil's wound.

"Does it still hurt?" Chris asked softly. He toyed with the edge of the tape tenderly.

"I can't even feel it." Phil answered honestly. "Now, hush. I want to watch my movie."

Chris chuckled dryly. He was really starting to like this kid. But just as Phil turned his attention back to the movie, an emergency news broadcast took Batman off of the screen. It talked about the brutal double murder of the cops in Columbus, Ohio, and they showed a picture of the alleged suspect. When Chris saw her, his heart froze in his chest. It was Jessica. Phil tensed in his arms as the announcer continued on to say that she was most likely armed and dangerous. Subconsciously, Chris pulled Phil closer to him and kissed the top of his head softly.

It was then that Phil's cell started to vibrate at the foot of the bed. Chris kissed Phil on the head once more, before he leaned down and took hold of the phone. He didn't want Phil to have to move and somehow jar the array of wounds that he had picked up over the time that he had been with Fozzy, so he climbed back up to the bed and handed the phone over to Phil. Phil looked at the Caller ID tiredly, before he rolled over onto his back and splayed his body out over Chris'. Chris was thankful that he had moved the tray of food away.

"Hunter?" Phil answered the call. "What is it? What have you found?"

"_I was able to contact the company about the security footage. It supports your claim that she attacked you before you had to retaliate in self-defense. You don't have to worry about that."_ Hunter assured him.

Phil nodded, even if Hunter couldn't see it. "Then, what _do_ I have to worry about?"

"_I'm sure you saw the news."_ Phil made an affirmative noise, so Hunter continued. _"She's armed, dangerous, and has nothing to lose and nothing to gain. I can't even anticipate what her next move will be."_

Phil blinked slowly, a cold knot of fear forming in his stomach. "She's armed and dangerous. She's armed and fucking _dangerous_. Dude, I think the world realized that when they saw the carnage on the television?"

Phil could almost _see_ Hunter narrow his eyes. _"Don't be a smartass, Phil."_

"I wasn't trying to be. That woman seriously freaks me out. I wasn't sure if the tazer would take her down." Phil said honestly. Chris tightened his hold on the smaller man reassuringly.

"_If I were you, kid, I would lay low for awhile. If you want, I can call Sheamus and have him send over someone else to take your position as head of security. It won't make you look guilty to take a little break. Jessica can't hurt you if she doesn't know where to find you."_ Hunter said.

"Actually, that sounds like a good idea. Call me when you have his answer, would you?" Phil said.

"_I will."_

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	16. Worry

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 16/? – Worry

**OOOO**

The call that Phil was waiting for came in around 5:00 PM. Sheamus had sent in Shane McMahon, a veteran of the Chicago Police Department and the son of the most recalcitrant judge in all of Illinois, Vince McMahon. Phil knew what he had to do. He took what little stuff that he had (most of the stuff had either been destroyed by Jessica or lost in the travel) and left. Chris was still in bed at the time and none the wiser. It was better that way, Phil decided. Sure, there were a lot of unexplained feelings between them, but he had only known the man for three weeks now and there was so much more at stake then there would be in a _normal_ affair. Phil scoffed at that. When had his life ever been normal?

It had hurt to leave without a word to the children, but Phil knew that it was for the best. If he wanted them to be safe, then he would need to keep a considerable distance between them. It only took him about five minutes to hail a taxi, and when the driver pulled over on the street, he instructed the woman to head to the Columbus Airport. Hunter had already bought him a ticket for the first flight out of Columbus, which would take him to Addison, Illinois, where Hunter lived with his husband, Mark. As the taxi started off in the direction of the airport, Phil knew that he couldn't just cut all ties completely. He took out his I-Phone and scrolled down to Chris' number.

_Chris, I'm sorry that it had to be this way. I don't believe in fate, but if we're meant to, maybe we'll meet again someday. Until then, I wish you and your band the best. Take care of those kids. As of now, your new head of security is S. McMahon._ – Phil

Seconds after he pressed send, his stomach rolled uncomfortably. He brushed it off as nerves, because he had never been the sentimental kind and the overload of emotions was seriously starting to beat on his wellbeing. But what if it was more than that? When he was at the hospital yesterday… he looked at the clock… make that two days ago, the doctor had said that some of his hormone levels were out of whack. Phil hadn't thought too much of it, because he had just been injected with Percocet and he wasn't really thinking too much of anything, but what if it meant that he was… oh, shit. That would be just his luck, wouldn't it? Phil cussed fluently under his breath as the taxi pulled up to the front entrance of the airport.

"That'll be fifty dollars." The taxi driver said, before he held his hand out.

Phil tossed him a wad of bills, but didn't bother to count them. "Thanks."

"Wait a minute!" The taxi driver exclaimed as Phil climbed out of the car, pulling his suitcase behind him meekly. The ravenette didn't hear a word that he said. "You overpaid me!"

Phil went to the front desk and stood there for a moment as the women got their bearings. The one that came over to assist him was an overly cheerful brunette, who was obviously _extremely_ pregnant. Phil listened to her blabber on about how wonderful their airline was and how he was guaranteed a fast and safe flight to wherever his destination may be. He really didn't care about all of that. What he _really_ wanted was to sit down and have a nice, long chat with Hunter about how many years Jessica would rot behind bars. However, he plastered on his best smile (even though he was extremely tired and, even with the influence of the pain medication, hadn't slept more than two hours in three days) and said in his most cheerful voice:

"I'm Phil Brooks. My lawyer would've called earlier today to buy me a ticket for a flight to Addison, Illinois. His name is Hunter Helmsley… or he may have used his married name, which is Calaway." Phil said.

"Ah, yes." The brunette smiled and nodded. She obviously remembered him. "He was very kind on the phone. You're lucky to have such a thoughtful lawyer."

"Thoughtful… ha." Phil scoffed. She had caught Hunter on a good day. With the added influence of the hormones, those were few and far between.

The brunette tilted her head to the side, momentarily confused. "Excuse me?" Phil shook his head to dismiss his comment. "Anyway, I'll need to see some photo identification."

Phil took out his driver's license and handed it to her. "There you are."

She ran it through the computer, before she nodded once more. "Okay. Here's your ticket. I hope you enjoy your flight."

Phil smirked. "Thanks."

The two forms that had sat on the cold, metal bench for close to a half hour as they waited for Phil to arrive, finally moved. The first blond lowered her _Glamour_ magazine and tossed it aside, before he removed her sunglasses and chewed on the earpiece thoughtfully. The other woman had dark red hair, with a fancy sunhat drawn over her eyes. All in all, she was rather unremarkable, save for where the tan lines of where a wedding ring should be. She narrowed her eyes as they followed Phil's retreating form, before she took her companion by the arm and lead her over to that same ticket booth. The brunette behind the counter smiled at them, but the red head lowered her eyes and looked down at the tile floor.

"Hello, my name is Beth Phoenix, and this is my… daughter, Jessica. Don't we look alike?" Beth asked.

The brunette looked skeptical. "Um… I guess. I think that she takes after her father a little bit more, though."

"Everyone says that." Beth waved her comment off. "Anyway, we need two tickets for the flight to Addison, Illinois. Is there one that leaves soon? We have family that we have to meet there."

The brunette nodded slowly. "There's a flight that leaves in ten minutes. It's a direct connection to Addison." She hit a few keys on the computer. "Let me see how many seats are left… ah, you're in luck. Two tickets, second class."

"How much will that be? I have cash." Beth said. It wouldn't do for them to be able to trace her credit or debit card activity.

"Two-hundred and seventy-five dollars." The brunette took the cash from Beth, but her eyes flickered back and forth between them warily. "Can I see home photo identification?"

"Of course." Beth handed over her driver's license immediately. It was clear.

The brunette turned to Jessica, who looked a little nervous under her watchful eye. "What about Jessica?"

"Oh." Beth froze under pressure. Of course, Jessica had her ID on her. But once the brunette ran it in the computer, she would find out about Jessica's little incident and they would _both_ be thrown in jail. "She doesn't have one."

A dark eyebrow raised. "Why not?"

"She's fifteen. She hasn't had a chance to take her driver's test yet." Beth lied fluently. The brunette couldn't see Jessica's face, so it was hard to tell an age from her size alone.

"Fine." The brunette relented. "Here are your tickets. Enjoy your flight."

Beth smiled. "Thanks."

**THE NEXT MORNING**

Chris awoke alone in bed. He was a little surprised to find that Phil wasn't in bed, but that didn't worry him. He threw on a loose shirt and walked out into the main room of the hotel. Phil wasn't there either. Instead, his son Ash bounced around like he had had a little bit too much sugar. Chris lifted him up and carried him over to the table, and he sat Sierra and Cheyenne in their respective high chairs, before he ordered their breakfast from room service. The woman came upstairs with the tray a few minutes later. Chris thanked her, before he dished out their food and took a seat at the head of the table. That was when he noticed that Phil had texted him.

_Chris, I'm sorry that it had to be this way. I don't believe in fate, but if we're meant to, maybe we'll meet again someday. Until then, I wish you and your band the best. Take care of those kids. As of now, your new head of security is S. McMahon._ – Phil

"Daddy?" Ash looked at his father.

"What's the matter, Ash?" Chris asked.

"Where is Phil? He said that he would take me to the park today." Ash said excitedly. He had no idea about the text that Chris had on his cell, and he'd rather have it that way.

Chris shook his head slowly. "To be honest, I don't know _where_ he is. He had some… urgent business that he had to take care of. I'm sure that he'll be back soon -,"

Chris was interrupted by a knock on the door. He excused himself from the table, before he walked over to answer the door. What was on the other side stunned him into silence. It was Shane McMahon, dressed in his full uniform, a look of absolute seriousness on his face. Silently, he asked if he could come inside. Chris stepped aside and allowed him entrance, and Shane walked over to stand in the middle of the room. Chris had a sinking feeling in his stomach that something was very off about this. There was something about Shane McMahon that he just didn't trust… or maybe it was the fact that he didn't really like Vince McMahon. Chris took a breath and looked Shane in the eye, his eyes like steel.

"What do you want, Shane?" Chris asked, his voice hard and cold.

Shane narrowed his eyes at him. "Look, _Christopher_. I know that Officer Brooks was your little bitch, but I'm not like him. I'm _better_ than him. So don't think that you can shove me around like a -,"

Chris balled the front of Shane's uniform into a fist. "Don't you dare make presumptions about me and Phil. It's none of your damn business anyway. Now, what the hell do you want?"

"I want you to admit that you knowingly compromised Officer Brooks." Shane said, his eyes narrow.

"You know what? I want you out of my hotel room." Chris led the brunette over to the door and shoved him out. Shane tried to walk back inside, but Chris narrowed his eyes at him. "Now."

"Fine. I'll leave." Shane said. "But I'll be back, and soon, you'll have to face what you did."

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	17. A Shock To The System

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 17/? – A Shock To The System

**OOOO**

Phil arrived in Addison, Illinois at 8:30 PM, but he rented a hotel room until the next day. Now, he stood in front of the front door to Hunter's house. He was a little nervous. He had already vomited three times in the last two hours, and while he was starved, he really didn't trust his stomach. Still, he tried to convince himself that it was only nerves. It couldn't be… that. They had only done it twice, after all. And he'd only really known the man for three weeks. Once more, he was reminded of how much his life reminded him of a bad soap opera. He needed a life, badly.

He knocked on the door. A loud crash came from inside, followed by a series of muffled curses. That was Hunter's voice, no doubt. Phil wondered if he had dropped something, or if he had thrown something across the room. Either was probable. Hunter wasn't exactly known to be the calmest person in the world. He reacted on impulse, which resulted in several assault lawsuits that never went anywhere. The sue-happy Paul Heyman loved to drag him to court for no reason, especially after Brock Lesnar had broken Hunter's arm after he found out about the baby.

A few minutes later, Hunter came to the door. He unlocked it and swung it open, before he walked away. Phil welcomed himself inside and closed the door behind him. The house was much the way he remembered it, save for the addition of some items for the baby. Quickly, Phil found that the item had fallen was part of the crib that Hunter was diligently building. And the item that had been thrown was the hammer… right through Hunter's wall. Mark would _love_ that. Carefully, Phil stepped over the explosion of drywall and set his suitcase down by the stairwell. Hunter came back a moment later, a frown on his face.

"Sorry about the mess." Hunter said dismissively. "Patience is not a virtue that I posses, it would seem."

"I don't think that many people posses it." Phil countered easily. In his line of work, that was very true.

"True." Hunter waved a hand to invite him into the kitchen. There, he boiled some water for Earl Grey tea. Even if Phil wasn't normally a fan of tea, he had a secret weakness for it when Hunter made it. "You want some?"

"Sure." Phil said. "It smells delicious." Phil took a seat at the kitchen table, which had different tabloids which showed how far the recent stars had fallen from grace. Phil rolled his eyes.

Hunter set a cup of tea in front of Phil. "There you are. You still like it with three spoonfuls of sugar?"

"Tablespoons?" Phil asked.

"Like we own any teaspoons." Hunter shot back sarcastically.

For a few moments, the two sat in silence. Phil saw that pregnancy was doing wonders for Hunter. It was extremely difficult to believe that the man would soon turn forty-three… not that that was _old_, but it was a little late in life to start a family naturally. But Phil was confident that Hunter would make an excellent father. The more he thought about what a wonderful father Hunter would make, however, he was reminded of Chris' beautiful children. He wondered if they were awake, and if Chris had told them that he wouldn't be coming back. It hurt a little too much to dwell on that, so he didn't.

"Jessica shot Commissioner John Laureinitis in the stomach after they had sexual relations in the Police Station, and she also shot down another officer execution style, which resulted in her immediate death." Hunter said.

"Do we have any idea where she is now?" Phil asked.

Hunter shook his head. "The trail went cold shortly thereafter. They thought they caught a break when she stole one of the cruisers, but they found it abandoned a short while later. However, where they found it may be of interest to you."

Phil raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"It was found outside of Beth's halfway home, which, I believe, she uses for training." Hunter said.

"Yeah." Phil confirmed. "She likes to use it when she travels between Illinois and Canada. It used to belong to her mother and father, but they sold it to her on her twenty-first birthday."

"Let me see your neck." Hunter said suddenly.

Hunter walked over and gently took the gauze pad off of Phil's neck, before he carefully inspected the wound. The stitches would have to be taken out soon, unless they were the kind that dissolved once you healed. The wound itself was red and angry, and it was obvious that it would scar horribly. Most likely, Phil would get a tattoo to cover it. He walked over to the kitchen sink and retrieved the first-aid kit from the cabinet underneath, before he came back and redressed Phil's wound. He set the kit on the table, not in the mood to walk three more steps to put it back in the cabinet.

"I believe that you have a decent case to take to court. If you wait a little while to cover that up, then you'll be able to prove the assault, even if it heals before we can take her to court. As for her defense, I believe the video speaks for itself." Hunter said.

"Still… I don't know or understand what I've done to tick this woman off so much. She claims that I tried to take her children away from her, but I didn't. _They_ came to _me_. She claims I tried to take her ex-husband from her and -," Phil paused.

"What?" Hunter asked.

"Guess that I'm kinda guilty for that one, though." Phil rested a hand on his stomach absently. He felt sick.

"Shit, Phil. Don't tell me that you actually _slept_ with him." Phil looked at him sheepishly. "And, to make it even better, you're fucking pregnant! C'mon, Phil… you know better than that."

Phil looked at him, confused. "How do you know that I'm pregnant?"

"It shows on your face." Hunter confessed. "That's how Mark knew I was pregnant."

Phil looked down at his stomach slowly, a little bit scared. "I'm… pregnant?"

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	18. Mark's Arrival

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 18/? – Mark's Arrival

**OOOO**

It was 3:00 PM. Mark was a little late on the way home, but that was because a friend had called and asked him to do a favor. Normally, Mark wasn't exactly known to be the most _charitable_ of men, but this friend had been close to him and Hunter for some time and had even offered assistance with the baby once she was born. To offer his time was the least that he could do. So now, as Mark turned into his driveway, he noticed two new cars outside of the house. One was Phil's (Hunter had already told him that Phil would stay with them for a little while), but he had never seen the other one before. It made him more than a little uneasy.

He cut the engine on his motorcycle, before he propped it up on the kickstand and climbed off. Walking over to the front door, he found that the front door had been replaced with the screen door and the screen door was unlocked. When he entered inside, the first thing he saw was the gaping hole in their wall. Upon closer inspection, it looked like Hunter had become overly frustrated and had _thrown_ something through the wall. Mark wasn't sure whether he should be impressed or a little intimidated by his husband's sudden issue with anger management. He kicked off his boots and hooked his leather jacket on the coat rack, which then creaked and threatened to fall over.

"I'm home." Mark announced. Hunter came over and pecked him on the cheek, which was about as much intimacy as both men could handle (unless, of course, it was full-blown sex).

"Welcome home, Mark. You remember Phil." Hunter motioned to the officer that sat at the table.

"Phil." Mark nodded. He did remember the boy.

"Mark." Phil shot him a look, before he went back to his tea. It was still so hot and it burned the roof of his mouth.

"Phil," the ravenette inclined his head to show that he was listening. "You wouldn't mind if I _borrowed_ Hunt for a minute, would you? I need to talk to him."

Phil wore a confused look on his face, but nodded nonetheless. "Sure. Whatever you need."

Without further delay, Mark led Hunter out into the front room of the house. Hunter, confused, was worried that Mark wanted to lecture him about the debris from the wall or even the half-completed crib. He was ready to defend himself and insist that it would be done before the baby was born, when Mark led him to the window (which was a considerable distance away from the wall and the crib) and drew the curtain back slowly. He motioned for Hunter to look outside, and the shorter man did. At first, he didn't see anything that screamed _unusual_. It was still the same old driveway. But then, Mark turned him a little bit so that he could see the fourth car.

"Do you see that?" When Hunter nodded, Mark continued. "Do you know who that belongs to?"

"It's a cherry red BMW. I don't think we know _anyone_ that drives a BMW, Mark." But then, Hunter fell silent. "Well, we do know _someone_, but I doubt that…"

Mark cut him off. "Who? I want a name so that, when I call the police, they'll know _exactly_ who to arrest for trespassing." Mark hissed out brutally.

"Phil's girlfriend, Beth Phoenix." Hunter relented finally.

Mark frowned. "I thought that she told Paul that she was going to see Phil in Ohio?"

"Maybe she heard that he came back to Illinois and decided to follow him here." Hunter said.

"Still," Mark's frown didn't relent. "That doesn't explain the other woman in the car. There's a red-haired woman in the car with her."

"Maybe it's Alicia?" Hunter offered.

"I don't think so." Mark shook his head. "Anyway, it doesn't really matter whoever they are. I'm still gonna call the cops. I don't like the fact that they're out there like that."

Both men moved away from the window seconds before a bullet shattered the glass and lodged in the wall behind them. Hunter shouted, startled, and Mark quickly moved him over to the other side of the room near the fireplace. There were no windows over there, so it would be harder to reach him. Then, Mark took out a key and unlocked a cabinet that was underneath the window, pulling out a 9mm. Aiming for the bullet hole in his window, he fired once and it tore into the trunk of the BMW. He fired another shot, which broke one of the windows. The sound of gunfire startled Phil, who raced out to see what had caused all of the commotion.

As it turned out, that was probably the _worst_ thing that he could have done. The driver rolled down the window just enough so that he could make out the face of his girlfriend, Beth Phoenix. And then, she stuck the gun out the window and fired three shots. Two hit the brick walls of the house and didn't do much damage, but the third broke through _another_ window and sliced Phil's arm. Frantically, Phil reached for the wound and held it to slow the flow of blood. Beth rolled down the window a little bit so that Phil had a clear view of Jessica in the passenger seat, before she blew him and kiss and sped off down the street.

"What the fuck was that?" Hunter shouted as he knelt down to see the full-extent of Phil's wound on his arm. He would need to head to the hospital for stitches.

"I don't know and I don't care. I got that bitch's license number." Mark smiled triumphantly. "I hope she's fucking loaded, because that's easily five thousand dollars worth of damage to my house."

"Did you see her face, Phil?" Hunter asked as he took off his own t-shirt and pressed it to the wound.

"Yeah. It was Beth. And the other woman in the car with her was Jessica Irvine." Phil winced when Hunter put more pressure on the wound.

"Sorry." Hunter said quickly. "Isn't Jessica Irvine a blond?"

Phil nodded. "Yeah, she is. I think that she may have dyed her hair red to make it through the airport. It's possible that they were on the same flight as me and I just didn't notice them."

Hunter nodded to confirm that he had heard Phil. "Okay. Mark, call 911 and ask for an ambulance. I'll head over with Phil to the hospital. After that, call the Police Department and tell them what's happened."

"Okay." Mark rushed off to do as he was told.

Hunter turned back to Phil. "Don't worry, kid. We'll take care of this."

**OOOO**

Jessica and Beth abandoned Beth's BMW behind a local Wal-Mart, and when they went around front, they found a tall, dark-skinned woman with fiery red hair loading her groceries into her car. It was Beth's once-close friend, Alicia Fox. Immediately, they stormed over to her, kicking the cart away and shoved the pistol into the side of her head. Without much of a fight, she tossed her keys at Jessica and started to beg for her life. Beth rolled her eyes as she took her belt and hooked it around the girl's head, stuffing the leather into her mouth and tightening it to muffle any screams that she might make. They tied her arms and legs, before they threw her into the back.

Beth slid into the driver's seat and Jessica into the passenger side, before they flew out of the Wal-Mart parking lot and out of Addison, Illinois. A few hours later, they crossed the border into Aledo, Illinois. Pulling over onto the side of the road, which had a little bit of grass before it came to an embankment, Jessica and Beth climbed out of the car and lugged Alicia's body outside. The red-haired woman was wide awake, her dark eyes filled with terror as Jessica and Beth walked over to the embankment. Once more, the woman pleaded for her life. But her words were lost behind the leather of the belt.

Without a second thought, Beth and Jessica threw her over the side of the embankment. She screamed as she fell down into the misty oblivion, unable to tell where she would land or save herself from the fall. About halfway down, she went into sudden cardiac arrest and was dead before her body hit the ground two hundred feet below. Jessica and Beth shot one last look in her direction, before they climbed into the car and sped off. Jessica set the radio to the local news station, which gave the weather report for the day. Meanwhile, they unfurled a map that they found in the glove compartment and were able to locate the nearest hotel within ten miles.

"_This just in: be on the lookout for two women in a cherry red BMW. The women are believed to be armed and dangerous. The first woman, Jessica Irvine, has red hair and blue eyes, is believed to be about 5' 5" and one-hundred twenty five pounds. The second woman, Elizabeth Phoenix, has blond hair and blue eyes, and is believed to be 5' 10" and one-hundred eighty pounds."_

They arrived at the hotel and climbed out of the car, locking the door and entering the main lobby. "Hello, and welcome to the Comfort Inn. How can I help you?"

"We need one room, two beds. The name is," here, Beth remembered what had been said on the radio. Everyone must know who they are already. "Elizabeth Brooks."

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	19. Another Plan

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 19/? – Another Plan

**OOOO**

"I'm tired of this, Daniel." AJ looked at her boyfriend tiredly. As of late, Daniel Bryan had become more verbally abusive than normal, and AJ was tired of the way that he treated her.

Daniel Bryan, who hadn't listened to AJ's five minute rant, raised one dark blond eyebrow as he turned a page in his book. "What was that, AJ?"

"I'm leaving you, Daniel." The brunette looked at the taller man seriously. "I'm tired of this and I won't do it anymore. Phil treated me better and you turned him on me -,"

Daniel didn't even flinch. "If I remember correctly, _you_ were the one to end it with _him_."

AJ shook her head fiercely. "Only because I was afraid of what _you'd_ do to him!"

Daniel shook his head. "Whatever. Leave for all I care. Just make sure that I receive your portion of this month's rent. And know that any shit you leave behind will be sold on EBay."

AJ blinked slowly, as if she couldn't understand what he had said. "Really?"

Daniel looked at her and asked rudely, "Did I stutter?"

"No." AJ looked down at her feet. She hated to be talked down to by Daniel. It made her feel lower than dirt. Phil had never treated her like that. "Oh, and Daniel?"

"What?" Daniel snapped. He didn't even bother to tear his eyes away from his book.

The loud echo of a bullet as it left the firearm's chamber and hit Daniel Bryan in the chest. Daniel didn't even have time to feel the pain. Once it hit his heart, he was dead. The book fell out of his hands, crimson blood splattered on the pages. AJ wore a sickly satisfied look on her face as she slowly lowered the firearm to her side, her eyes never leaving Daniel's muscled body as it fell off of the couch and onto the floor. Slowly, a thin trail of blood oozed out and started to stain the carpet.

AJ took out a silk cloth that Daniel used to use to polish his gem collection (he was a collector of rare stones from all over the world) and used it to wipe her fingerprints off of the gun. And then, she tossed the gun onto his chest. Stuffing the cloth into her pocket, she quickly raced into the back bedroom and started to pack. The thirty-two year old brunette only had about sixty dollars to her name, and she knew that, if she stole from Daniel, she would be easier to trace. However, sixty dollars would buy her a ticket to Illinois.

Frantically, she stuffed as many clothes as she could into her tiny, floral suitcase. Daniel had bought it for her for the vacation that he always swore that they would take, but they never did. AJ shook her head. She wouldn't be fooled by Daniel's lies anymore. She slammed her suitcase closed and locked it. And then, she raced back into the living room and went straight for the front door, only bothering to cast one last wayward look at the man that she had once believed that she loved. He was now on the other end of the bullet. She smirked evilly. It suited him.

"Goodbye, Daniel." AJ said sweetly as she started to walk out the door. "Rot in hell."

**OOOO**

"There. It's finished. A totally new Elizabeth Brooks." Jessica turned Beth around so that the former blond could look in the mirror. "What do you think?"

The gymnast's once blond hair had been cut into a short bob that was a little bit longer in the front and wedged in the back, and it had been dyed a dark, unimpressive brown. Jessica had also shaved off the other woman's eyebrows and stenciled them in with a mocha-colored eyebrow pencil. Beth also wore low-grade reading glasses, which had been put into wide, rectangular frames that made her look like a bookworm, almost _nerdy_ even. And she wore a new outfit, with a high-waist skirt and a white silk button-down.

Beth tilted her head to the side, a small smirk on her face. "What do I think? I think that it's perfect. You've outdone yourself, Jessica." Beth smiled. "Have you heard from Dolph?"

The red-haired woman's calm demeanor faltered a bit. "No, actually. I left several messages on his phone to tell him that we arrived in Addison, and then later to confirm that we were in Aledo, but -,"

"But _what_, Jessica?" Beth fumed. This was a bump in the road that had been unaccounted for. "We need him to take out Phil! We can't have any more blood on our hands!"

Jessica turned on her suddenly. "What do you mean; we can't have any more blood on our hands? If I recall, it was your idea to kill Alicia for her car! That wasn't on me."

Beth shook her head. "You agreed to it and didn't say a word to stop me. You're my accomplice."

But Jessica was already on a roll. "I didn't even _want_ to kill Phil! I only wanted to teach him a lesson, that's all."

"You wanted to kill him from the start and you know it, Jess. Don't deny it now." Beth hissed.

"No!" Jessica screamed.

Beth struck the shorter woman hard across the face, sending her stumbling back into the bathtub. All of a sudden, the tirade ended and Jessica regained her composure. The two shared a look, a silent conversation flowing between them. There was no way that they would accomplish _anything_ if they didn't work together. A house divided cannot stand, after all. If they _didn't _work together, then there would always be the chance that someone would turn on the other at a crucial moment in the plan. And, at the moment, they could only truly trust each other.

Slowly, methodically, the two women walked back into the actual hotel room and sat down on Beth's bed. Reaching into her purse, Beth took out her address book and tossed it to Jessica. She kept most of her addresses in her phone, but when it came to personal matters like this, it was best not to leave an electronic trail that could easily be traced. After Jessica had located the number, she read it aloud as Beth dialed. Both knew for a fact that, even though it was late, the man would still be wide awake.

"_Hello?"_ Dolph asked. He sounded extremely exhausted.

"Dolph – we need to talk about our _deal_. It seems as if the circumstances have changed." Beth stated calmly. "We need Phil dead, and we need it _now_."

**OOOO**

It had been confirmed at the hospital. Phil was pregnant. And, to be honest, Phil wasn't exactly sure how he felt about it. Sure, he wanted to keep the baby. He knew that much. But… would he tell Chris about the baby? Chris was the only man that Phil had ever been with, so he knew without a doubt that Chris was the father. He sat on the bed in Hunter and Mark's guest room, contemplating the future and all that it held, when his phone vibrated. When he rolled over to answer it, he found that it was a text from Chris.

_Whatever it was that I did to hurt you or upset you, I'm sorry. I'm stuck here with a bunch of idiots who have no idea what they're doing in terms of security and all I can think about is you. Please, Phil… come back. – Chris_

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	20. Texted Hearts

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 20/? – Texted Hearts

**OOOO**

Phil sat on the bed and stared at the text. He honestly couldn't believe it. Chris missed him? Chris _missed_ him. The idea alone awoke a flurry of emotions within him, emotions that he wasn't entirely sure that he was comfortable with. Phil wasn't sure if he liked Chris, let alone if he _loved_ him. And what if he didn't? What would become of the baby? But then, there was an undeniable attraction between them. Phil knew without a doubt that he missed Chris as well, and it would be useless to try and claim otherwise.

But he couldn't return as the head of security, even if he wanted to. Sheamus had forbid him to do so. He didn't want his best officer to be shot down by two homicidal women with a vendetta to settle. Slowly, Phil looked down at the stitches in his arm. A little bit of the tattoo on his left arm had been ruined, but that was okay. At least he could say that he was still alive, after all. Beth and Jessica, on the other hand, better steer clear of Mark if they don't want to face his wrath for the destruction of his house.

_I'm sorry. I can't come back. I'm sure that you'll be fine with Shane. This is too much of a mess for me and I need to solve it before I can think of anyone but myself. It may seem a little bit selfish, but that is the way that it has to be. I hope that you understand. – Phil_

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Hunter walked into the room and set some tea down on the bedside table. "You haven't eaten since you found out about the baby. You need some substance in your stomach for the baby to be healthy."

Phil was able to force a small smile as he looked over at the tea. "Thanks." The wind carried over the delicate scent. "Is it herbal?"

Hunter nodded. "Herbal with a hint of lemon and two spoonfuls of sugar." Hunter elaborated. "So… do you plan to tell the father about the baby?" He asked softly, tentatively.

Phil shrugged, a look of disinterest on his face. "I don't know. I haven't known him very long."

"How long?" Hunter asked. He seemed truly interested and Phil didn't think that he was the kind to judge.

"A little under a month." Phil said. Hunter's hazel eyes became wide and Phil was quick to continue. "But we went to school together, so I've really known him longer."

"You should still tell him. He deserves to know." Hunter said. Phil's phone started to vibrate.

"Excuse me for one second…" Phil said as he checked to see what the new text said.

_It's not selfish at all. You're allowed to make your own decisions, Phil. You're your own man. I just wanted to let you know that I miss you and that the kids miss you as well. They say that if you really love something you should be able to let it go. I guess, if it's meant to be, we'll find our way back to each other. – Chris_

Phil wasn't exactly sure what he could say to that. Chris had just admitted that he loved him, inadvertently or otherwise. It made him feel… nice. It felt like an eternity since someone had last admitted that they loved him. Beth had never said it. AJ had never said it. And, in turn, he had never felt the need to say the words himself. He never felt like he cared that much for someone, and the words lost all sentiment if they were a lie. But, somehow, Phil knew that Chris' words were true. He knew that Chris truly loved him and he liked that.

_Someday… - Phil_

It was true. Maybe, someday, they would be fated to cross paths again. But Phil wasn't in the practice of making promises that he couldn't keep. When he used to live with his sister, he would promise her that he would do his best to stay safe while he was at work that day. He couldn't promise that he would be safe, or even that he would come home for dinner. Every day, there was a chance that he could be shot down and killed. It came with the territory. And Phil had consciously chosen to live in that reality day in and day out.

And still, Phil knew that Hunter's words were true. If he were to have this baby, then he or she deserved to have both of their father's in their life. However, would Chris even _want_ another child? He had a son and two daughters that were in diapers, and another infant wasn't exactly contusive to life on the road. He may say that he wants it now, but over time he would come to resent both Phil and the child for keeping him from his dreams. And Phil couldn't do that to _himself._ Now, he was at a loss for what to do.

"I don't know what to do." Phil said to Hunter, who looked out the window distractedly. "I want to tell him, but, at the same time, I don't want to tell him."

Hunter shook his head. "You have to make your own decision, Phil. I wish I could be more help, but this is something you have to do for yourself."

Phil looked down at his hands and bunched the blanket into two identical balls. "Then… I won't tell him. At least not yet. I need more time to think about it."

Hunter offered him a small smile. "Think of it this way. You have nine months to think."

"Yeah." Phil agreed. "That I do."

**OOOO**

Dolph carefully examined the firearms that he had chosen to take with him. There were three total. The first was extremely long and could almost be considered a shot gun, which was great for long distance but not good if he wanted to be concealed when he fired. The second was a small handgun for close-range battle. And the last was another handgun which looked almost like it was a twin to the first. Carefully, he set them into his suitcase and put that suitcase into the trunk of his car.

Beth and Jessica had called him from Aledo, Illinois to tell him that their plan would need to be put into effect immediately. Dolph had been hesitant and had wanted to delay it for as much time as he could, because he was still arguing with Sheamus and Judge McMahon over what to do with the case. But he was in too deep now and if he seemed hesitant, they could realize that he was playing both sides and they could turn on him. That would not only endanger his own life, but it would also risk Phil's _and_ everyone else's who was involved.

Aledo was about an hour and a half drive from Chicago, but he would be able to make it there before lunch if he was lucky. Beth had already told him that the room was rented to 'Elizabeth Brooks' and that the receptionist was waiting with the spare key to their room. Dolph bit down on the inside of his mouth as the hot, summer sun beat down on his bare neck. He would have to move fast if he wanted to arrive before his temporary replacement partner, Cody Rhodes, came to take him for their patrol. If his watch was correct, he had fifteen minutes.

He slid into the car and started the engine, before he slid out of the driveway in one smooth motion. He barely had time to kick the car into drive before the loud screech of brakes could be heard, followed by a loud, feminine scream. Dolph braced for impact, thankful that he had his seatbelt on. And then, all of a sudden, a huge SUV crashed into the front of his black van. The hood formed a sort of accordion as it was forced back and a stream of hot smoke shot out of the engine. That wasn't a good sign.

When he looked across, he saw a rather sheepish woman behind the wheel of the other car. She looked a little shaken, but Dolph missed the sick little smirk that twisted her beautiful face. Dolph let a steady stream of curses fly as he climbed out of the car and slammed the door behind him. Well, that put him behind schedule. A lot. The woman climbed out as well and Dolph was able to recognize her immediately. The woman was AJ Lee, Phil's ex from when they were still in school.

"Shit." Dolph mumbled. Well, his life just got a bit more exciting.

**OOOO**

"Where the hell is he?" Beth fumed. She started to walk back and forth, waving her hands animatedly in the air. "You don't think that he could have turned us in, do you? Is that a siren in the distance?"

"Who is the stir crazy one now?" Jessica asked, a wry smirk on her face. Beth didn't find it amusing in the least.

Beth turned on her and snapped. "You know, this isn't funny. We could both do some serious jail time. We killed Alicia. Hell, they could even kill us if they wanted to. We're murderers and we _still_ have to finish Phil off."

"I still don't understand why we have to kill him." Jessica said. "I just wanted him away from my family, and know he's back home in Illinois. He'll leave them alone. That's all that I wanted."

"What about what _I_ want?" Beth screamed. "I want a boyfriend that will love me, not some pitiful excuse for a man who will shack up with any man that comes within a ten mile radius!"

"I still have the evidence." Jessica said.

"You still want to use it?" Beth asked.

Jessica smirked darkly. "You know, I don't think he ever told his superior _exactly_ what it was that compromised his position. I'm sure that this _Sheamus O'Shaughnessy_ would love to know that his favorite officer was shaking up with someone under his protection."

Beth feigned disdain at the idea. "But… but he could lose his job for that kind of behavior! Wouldn't that be such a shame?" Here, she chuckled. "I like the way that you think, Jessica."

Beth climbed onto the bed beside the now red-haired woman and looked over her shoulder as she found the photos on her phone and located Sheamus' number, which she had taken out of Phil's phone when it had somehow landed in her possession. They hesitated only a moment, knowing that cell phones could be used to track the whereabouts of criminals and that it had been done several times. But the worry didn't last for very long. Seconds later, the pictures were on their way to Phil's boss and Phil was on his way to the unemployment line.

"Do you think that this could backfire on us?" Beth asked, a little worried about the idea.

Jessica shook her head. "Nope." And then, that smirk returned. "And, if it does, at least that smug bastard won't have a badge to wave around anymore. And that's all that matters."

"I guess…" Beth agreed. She still sounded a little hesitant.

**OOOO**

**A/N:** So, what will happen in the confrontation between Dolph and AJ? Have they found Daniel's body yet? There's only one way to find out, and that's stay tuned for the next chapter. Until then, please review!


	21. Sheamus Responds

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 21/? – Sheamus Responds

**OOOO**

Phil rolled over in bed. He had only been able to rest for about fifteen minutes or so, but that didn't really matter to him. He wasn't actually all that tired and it was on Hunter's insistence that he finally laid down for a short amount of time. Carefully, he stretched out and took his cell off of the bedside table. The Caller ID read 'Commissioner Sheamus O'Shaughnessy'. Phil frowned. As far as Phil was concerned, he was off-duty until Beth and Jessica were arrested and prosecuted per Sheamus' orders. What could he want now?

Phil didn't waste any time. Immediately, he answered the call. "Hello?"

"_Phil, I need you to come down to the station. I have some stuff here that we need to discuss immediately."_ Sheamus' tone left no room for questions. _"Come down in about an hour, okay?"_

Phil was silent for a moment, before he said, "Is there a reason that I have to come down? I thought that I was on leave until Beth and Jessica were arrested?" Phil asked.

"_I have some pictures here that are very… interesting. I want to get your take on it before I make any rash decisions, fella. You have one hour."_ Sheamus said seriously. It made Phil's blood run cold.

Before Phil could say another word, Sheamus ended the call. Phil rolled off of the bed and dressed himself in some loose jean shorts and his favorite metallic silver sleeveless hoodie. He flicked the hood over his head and grabbed his phone, tucking it into his pocket. The drive down to the Chicago Police Station would be short, maybe an hour at most. If he was lucky, he could make it back for lunch. It may have been a little bit hard to believe, but Hunter was an _excellent_ cook. Phil raced downstairs and told Hunter that he would be out for a few hours.

Phil slid into his car and started it, before he pulled out of the driveway and drove out. He was silent the entire way. He didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but he was fairly certain that the pictures that Sheamus had were the same pictures that Jessica had sent him of his little affair with Chris. Soon, Phil arrived at the Police Station and cut the engine. Phil climbed out and walked over to the front door, opened it, and was immediately blasted with cold air. Sheamus was waiting for him. He clapped a hand onto his shoulder and led him back to his office in the back corner of the station.

"What is this about, Sheamus?" Phil asked warily. He was incredibly tired and all he wanted was to be back in bed.

"Would you care to explain what the hell these pictures are?" Sheamus threw the newly developed photos down onto the desk. Phil slowly eased himself into the chair and looked them over. "Well?"

Phil looked at him with his wide, olive eyes. "I can totally explain." But then, he hesitated. Sheamus gave him an expectant look. "Okay… I took a liking to Chris. He found out that Jessica had threatened me and wanted me to stay in his hotel room."

"You want to tell me how Jessica Irvine has threatened you and why you didn't fill out an official report?" Sheamus asked. He looked frustrated but also worried at the same time.

"She… somehow, she broke into my hotel room and cut up all of my clothes. She had someone take these pictures of what should have been a private moment. And then she cut me." Phil said softly.

"And then you tazed her." Sheamus finished for him.

"Yes. I tazed her." Phil confirmed.

Sheamus ran a hand over his face and crashed in his own chair. "I should reprimand you for this, Phil."

Phil looked at him blankly. Phil was one of the best officers on the force and had never had to be reprimanded before. But he wouldn't plead with his superior officer and make it worse. "Whatever you believe is best, Commissioner."

"Do you really care about him?" Sheamus asked.

Phil was a bit startled by the sudden question. "What?"

"Do you really care about Chris Irvine?" Sheamus elaborated.

Phil was silent for a moment. He wasn't sure about the answer. But then, he touched one hand to his still-flat stomach and it all became incredibly clear. "Yes, I do."

"Then I can't really blame you – this time, at least. You're off the hook for now, officer. But if this happens a second time, don't expect me to extend the same curtsey." Sheamus said.

Phil's eyes widened considerably. "Thank you, sir."

Sheamus shook his head. "Don't mention it."

Phil left the office with a small smile on his face. He was thankful to have a superior officer like Sheamus, because he knew that many others wouldn't be quite so understanding. He looked at the clock. Maybe he would make it back for lunch after all. Phil got back into the car and drove for a little while, before he came up to a gas station on the outskirts of Addison, Illinois. He went in and bought a bottle of vitamin water, a bottle of decaf Pepsi, and a chocolate bar. Once he was back in the car, he tore into the chocolate bar and devoured it in a matter of moments. Then, he unscrewed the lid on the vitamin water.

He pulled out of the lot, vaguely realizing that he was driving by his partner, Dolph Ziggler's, house. There looked to be a bit of an accident there, but he drove by too fast to really see too much of it. He entered Addison and drove a little while more, making sure that he drank all of his vitamin water. Hunter would have a fit if he found out that, for most of the time that he lived with his sister, he had lived off of Pepsi and sugar. That was, when his sister wasn't shoving meat down his throat. He wasn't a heavy eater, no matter how much his sister tried to make him into one. But he would try to eat better for the baby.

**OOOO**

AJ smiled at Dolph. It made him more than a little uneasy. "I'm so sorry that I ran into your car, Dolph. Do you want my insurance information?" AJ asked.

"You don't look all that sorry." Dolph mumbled. "Yeah, I'll take your information. I'll find mine too."

Dolph walked around to the passenger side of his car and opened the door, before he opened the glove compartment and took out his car registration and insurance information. He had barely had enough time to grab it when he felt a gun press to the base of his neck. He could feel the metal tremble against his bare skin. AJ was nervous. It was obvious that she knew he was a police officer, as she could see his badge. He wasn't exactly sure what her intention was, but when she jabbed the gun further into the base of his neck, he knew that she had done this before.

Slowly, he raised his hands over his head and allowed AJ to lead him over to the side of his car. She frisked him and was able to find his car keys in his front pocket. Quickly, she put them into her own pocket. And then, she drew the gun back and cracked him on the temple with it. Momentarily disoriented, she turned him around and cuffed him with his own handcuffs. They key to unlock the handcuffs was also in her pocket. However, when he came too, he was able to kick her in the knee and make her stumble back. That's when she shot him.

Almost immediately, his white button-down shirt was coated with a small spray of blood. He had been shot in the shoulder, but the actual pain had yet to kick in. It must have been the rush of adrenaline. Dolph frowned and tried to move his hands, only to realize that his hands were cuffed behind his back and every movement caused his his shoulder to crack and grind loudly. Suddenly, AJ produced a cloth and stuffed it into Dolph's mouth so that he couldn't speak or cry out for assistance. And then, she started to lead him over to her own car.

Cody chose that moment to pull into the driveway. "What the hell? Hey! Drop the weapon, now!"

AJ smiled at him sweetly. "I don't think so."

"You have ten seconds to drop the weapon or I'll shoot!" Cody ordered her. Obviously, AJ didn't take him seriously. She shot at him once and it grazed his arm painfully.

Dolph tried to spit the sock out of his mouth, but AJ drew him back and slammed his forehead into the side of the car. And then, she elbowed him in the side of the neck. Once he was totally motionless, she opened the door to the back of the car and tossed him into the backseat. There was already a towel there, almost as if she was sure that he would be shot before he would be stuffed into the car. Cody shot twice at the car, but AJ was able to avoid the array of of bullets to make it back into the driver's seat. The spray of bullets continued as AJ detached the car from Dolph's and started to drive off.

Cody let out a violent string of curses as he walked back to his squad car and called in the kidnapping with possible intent to kill. He gave the location and told that it was Officer Dolph Ziggler that had been taken. He also revealed that he had been shot, but it was only a small graze. He would follow in close pursuit until he couldn't see them anymore. Cody climbed back into the car and drove off after the car that had crashed into Dolph. In the distance, he could hear several sirens follow behind. Maybe they would be lucky and be able to catch the crazy woman before it was too late…

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Another update! Please Review!


	22. Guns 'N Roses

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 22/? – Guns 'N Roses

**OOOO**

His head hammered uncontrollably. It was hard to describe the ache that he felt, but what he could decipher was that it was a full body pain and it hurt like hell. He blinked slowly and wet his dry, chapped lips. Where was he? His vision was still blurry, so it was difficult to identify his exact location. However, from what he _could_ tell, he knew that he was in some sort of car. Slowly, he blinked his eyes and tried to focus in on whatever was in front of him.

When he was finally able to do so, he saw AJ Lee in the driver's seat of the car. He tried to move, but then he realized that AJ had cleverly secured the handcuffs around the metal bars of the headrest. In other words, he was effectively stuck. He had to give her props. For a psychotic woman, she certainly was smart. She seemed like she had a plan and was ready to follow it to the letter. He could only hope that he was still alive at the end of it.

"Oh. I see that you're awake." She cocked her head to the side and flashed him her best smile. "How does it feel to be on the other end of the handcuffs, officer?" She asked.

"What have you done to me?" Dolph slurred. He could barely remember the distinct crack of a gun hitting the back of his head, but he could feel the dried blood crusted there.

"Before or after I shot you and cracked you over the head with my gun? I had to administer a mild sedative so that you wouldn't bleed out on me. You won't be any use to me dead, after all." AJ said seriously.

"What kind of sedative?" Dolph asked. He wasn't sure that he wanted to know, but he _needed_ to know.

"Some kind of tranquilizer." AJ mumbled. It was clear that he would be unable to obtain more information about it.

"AJ, this is stupid. You and I both know that you can't be so desperate as to want to kidnap a police officer and take him hostage. This can only end one way and you and I both know that." Dolph tried to talk her down.

AJ laughed bitterly. It scared him a little bit. "Of course I know how this is going to end. You're going to take me to Phil and Phil and I will drive off into the sunset and live happily ever after."

"AJ – don't do this to yourself. Don't ruin your life like this." Dolph pleaded with her.

"The only one ruining my life is you!" AJ shot back. She jerked around to face him and almost drove off of the road.

"Okay. Okay. I'm very, _very_ sorry. You know what? I know exactly where Phil is. He's just outside of town. I'll tell you exactly how to get there and I'll even go in and bring him back myself, okay? Just… don't freak out like that." Dolph said.

AJ smiled. She wore a look of total satisfaction on her face as she turned back around to face the road like none of this had occurred. But Dolph knew that his words were still present in the front of her mind. She wanted Phil and he knew where Phil was. And maybe, just maybe, she was desperate enough to trust a cop that she knew could turn on her at any minute. Dolph was a known risk taker and he was willing to take that chance.

After several moments of total silence, AJ finally relented. She pulled off to the side of the road so that they were under the cover of trees and cut the engine. And then, she unhooked one of his wrists and slid the cuff out from around the head rest. Dolph tried to convince her that he was on her side and didn't want to hurt her, but she refused to listen. Once the metal chain was free, she reattached the other cuff and pushed him over so that he sat on the other side of the backseat.

AJ handed him a small sheet of paper and a pen and instructed him to write the instructions down. Dolph was hesitant, but reluctantly complied after AJ threatened him with another shot – this time to the head. He scribbled down the directions to Hunter's house and told her that there would be other people there, but she didn't care. All she cared about was the fact that Phil would be there. Phil seemed to be the center of her universe.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, Dolph." AJ shook her head. From the look on her face, she really wasn't sorry. "But we've been trailed for the last five miles and I can't have you be a little rat. It seems I'll have to take a few extra precautions."

Dolph swallowed hard. He didn't like the look on her face. "Like what?"

AJ went around to the trunk and took out a new license plate. She took off the old one and threw it into the trunk, before she attached the new one. And then, she returned with a blindfold and gag. "Just till we arrive at the house, of course."

"AJ, you really don't want to do this. You could get serious jail time for this. All you have to do is leave me here and I won't press charges. You'll be a free woman. Isn't that what you want?" Dolph asked desperately.

Her chocolate eyes hazed over. "I'll never be a free woman."

AJ firmly attached the blindfold and gag, before she reattached his handcuffs to the headboard. She knocked him once in the bloody shoulder for good measure. He let out a low moan around the gag. If she wasn't careful, his wound would become infected and they would sink even deeper into this mess. Dolph shook his head and succumbed to the darkness that the pain created. Maybe Vince was right. Maybe he _was_ in too deep.

**OOOO**

The show had gone off without a hitch, just as the band had anticipated that it would. But something was missing. Not one time while they were out on stage did Chris crack a smile. Not once. In fact, it seemed that the only time that Chris did smile as of late was with his children. And even then, those smiles were strained. He was in the midst of a fierce custody battle whilst he toured around the world… and now he had lost _him_. The only one who seemed to be able to make Chris smile lately. Phil Brooks.

"You miss him, don't you?" Zack snuck up on Chris and watched with a satisfied smirk as the rocker leaped several inches into the air. "You okay there, Chris?"

"Minus the heart attack?" Chris shot back sarcastically. He turned away from Zack. "What makes you think that I miss him?"

Zack rolled his eyes and slid into the seat next to Chris. "Maybe it's the fact that you've doodled his name all over your notebook. In bright pink glitter pen, I might add. Where on earth did you get _that_ monstrosity?"

"It was Jessica's." Chris countered easily. "I accidently grabbed it one morning and never gave it back to her. Hell, with the way she's trying to screw me over in court, I should just give it back to her…"

Zack didn't comment. Instead, he said, "The real question is: _Why_ is Phil's name all over your song book? Is there more to the story then you're letting on?"

"It's my fault that he left." Chris mumbled. It wasn't intended for Zack to hear, but he did anyway.

"Nobody blames you, Chris. How can you blame yourself?" Zack asked.

"Because I was the one who told Shawn that I specifically wanted him for the tour. I was the one who foolishly exposed him to my psychotic ex-wife, who almost killed him might I add… it's all my fault." Chris mumbled.

Zack shook his head. That had to be just about the dumbest excuse that he had ever heard. Sure, it was unfortunate that Phil had been exposed to Jessica on the tour. But it had been _Phil_ who had consented to the job, even _after_ Jessica warned him about the potential pitfalls (which included Jessica). It wasn't Chris' fault at all. But Zack knew that if he continued to allow Chris to believe that it _was_ his fault, his music, his career, and his life would suffer for it.

"I believe that I speak for most of the band when I say that we don't blame you for this. But if you really want to hear the truth, why don't you go straight to the source? Ask Phil. And if he doesn't blame you, learn to forgive yourself." Zack said.

**OOOO**

The blindfold was taken off of Dolph and he realized that they had arrived at Hunter's house. A chill ran down his spine when he realized that both Hunter and Mark's cars were in the lot outside, as well as Phil's. Phil had told him that Hunter was well into his first pregnancy and the doctor was worried because Hunter tended to be a rather stressful being. Throwing a hammer through the wall when the crib wouldn't sit correctly didn't really help remedy that initial impression.

AJ stuffed a gun, loaded to full capacity, into his hands. If this didn't go the way that it was supposed to, he knew that she wanted him to shoot everyone – leave no survivors. It killed him inside to think that he would cause the deaths of innocent people, but he already had a plan in mind. She slid a bug onto him so that she could hear every word that was said between them, and then she shoved him onto the front doorstep.

Dolph knocked on the door. After a moment, Phil answered. "Oh, hey Dolph. I wasn't expecting you to come over today. Do you want to come inside? Hunter is making tea."

"Yes, that would be wonderful. Thanks." Dolph said monotonously. Phil looked at him oddly, but didn't comment.

"Hunter!" Phil turned his back on Dolph. "We have one more for tea!"

And then, all of a sudden, Dolph had Phil in a rear-choke and was dragging him over toward the window so that AJ had a clear view of him. He stuffed a gun into Phil's temple and told him as quietly as possible to not make a move or he would shoot. This didn't have to involve Mark or Hunter. Dolph turned away from Phil for a minute to check AJ's position, before he started to maneuver them toward the window on the far wall. It was perfect because it was out of sight of the kitchen.

"What the hell, Dolph? Let go of me right… now!" Phil kicked him in the shin and Dolph released him. He barely had a chance to re-aim his firearm before Phil had his own pointed at Dolph's head. "I wouldn't shoot if I were you."

"Oh, but I know you all-too-well, Phil. You never have been a good liar. And I can see right through that brave face you have on. Underneath it, you're nothing but a coward." Dolph hissed.

"I'm not the one who's afraid to pull the trigger." Phil shot back.

"You wanna bet?" Dolph had a dark gleam in his eyes as he lowered the gun and aimed it at Phil's midsection.

"You wouldn't…" was all that Phil had the chance to say before the crack of a bullet leaving its chamber filled the room. All was silent was Phil fell to the floor, motionless.

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	23. Hope

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 23/? – Hope

**OOOO**

The blond threw his firearm to the side and fell down on his knees beside Phil. "C'mon, Phil. Please, be the paranoid bastard that I know you are. Tell me that you had the vest on." Dolph ranted uselessly.

Phil let out a low moan as Dolph rolled him onto his back. The blond tore at his shirt until his hands and arms were stained with blood, but whether it was his own or Phil's he couldn't be sure. Finally, after several moments, the shirt tore and revealed the black Kevlar vest underneath. The bullet was stuck in the vest near his stomach. A flood of relief washed over him when he realized that the blood wasn't Phil's.

The shot must've knocked the wind out of him, because after he shifted a little bit to become more comfortable, he remained totally still. Quickly, Dolph took the vest off of him and threw it aside. He then took off his own shirt and slid it over Phil's head. It was a little too small in the shoulders, but it was baggy in the stomach and chest area. Dolph rubbed the dried blood off onto his hands. He needed to think.

That's when he remembered that AJ was waiting for him in the car. Dolph scooped Phil into his arms and carried the body over to the window. Once it was open, he took the body and slid it outside. He followed suit. All of this was done in almost total silence, as the only reason that Hunter and Mark hadn't noticed them so far was the silencer on Dolph's firearm. Dolph slid the body across the front yard and over to AJ's car.

"I want him in the backseat." AJ ordered firmly. "Put this in his mouth. I don't want to hear one word out of him. Understood?" AJ looked at him with narrowed eyes.

Dolph understood. "Hand over the gag." AJ did so and Dolph hooked it around Phil's mouth. The ravenette could barely stand. "Is that what you wanted?"

"Good. Now, handcuff his hands behind his back. I don't want any sudden movements." AJ handed the handcuffs over and Dolph carefully hooked them on Phil's wrists. "Did you shoot him?"

"What?" Dolph asked. She couldn't have heard, could she?

AJ motioned to Phil's shirt. "There's blood all over him. Did you shoot him in the stomach?"

Another flood of relief washed over him. "Yes. I shot him. He didn't want to come with us. The bullet only nicked the side of his stomach, however. I'll put pressure on it so he doesn't bleed out."

"Make sure that you do that." AJ said. "If he bleeds out, it'll be your head."

Dolph swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course."

AJ opened the door to the backseat and allowed Dolph to lift Phil and set him in the far seat. Phil's body fell over to the side and leaned heavily on the door. Dolph took a seat beside him and AJ climbed behind the wheel. They drove off in silence. AJ was so focused on the road ahead that Dolph chanced a look over at Phil. He moaned softly and tried to move around, but he was incredibly sore. Even with the Kevlar vest, that could happen.

Dolph leaned over and slid Phil across the leather seat so that they sat next to each other. AJ looked in the rearview mirror for a moment, before she shook her head and turned her attention back on the road. Dolph put his hand were he said that Phil had been shot and pressed down just enough to cause the material of Phil's shirt to wrinkle. After several more minutes, AJ pulled into a gas station and cut the engine.

"I'll be back in a minute." AJ said. "If you so much as _move_, it'll be the end of the line for both of you. Do you understand?" AJ asked tensely. Dolph nodded hurriedly.

Of course, the minute that AJ vanished, Dolph slid out of the backseat and went around to the driver's side. AJ had taken the keys. Dolph reached around under the wheel and popped the hood, before he hotwired the car. He needed to get both of them out of the area before AJ came back. He turned back in time to see AJ at the register. There wasn't much time left. And just as that thought crossed his mind, the engine roared viciously.

The sound had caught AJ's attention. Without even looking back in her direction, Dolph climbed behind the wheel and slammed down on the gas pedal. AJ didn't even bother to pay for her stuff. She raced out of the gas station and took out her gun, the same one that she had used to kill Bryan, and started to open fire at the wheels. One caught one of the gas pumps and the entire thing went up in flames. Soon after, there was a loud _boom_ as it exploded.

"Shit!" AJ screamed as she threw a minor tantrum. She turned on her heel and walked back into the gas station. What would she do now? And then, her eyes fell on the cashier. "Hey, mister?"

"What do you want, kid? You know that you still have to pay for those items, right?" The man said nonchalantly. He didn't even look up until the barrel of a gun was shoved into his neck.

AJ smiled at him. "I want you to hand over the keys to your truck. I know that it's yours. And… if you don't… well, I'm sure that you can guess what happens next."

With a soft _clink_, the keys fell into her outstretched palm.

**OOOO**

"Where the hell is he?" Beth ranted. "He should have been here two hours ago."

"I think that he's an unreliable source. We never should have trusted him. And now, he's out on the loose. We need a battle plan. Somehow, we have to take _both_ of them out at once." Jessica said firmly.

Beth tilted her head to the side. "Why both of them at once? I think that it would be easier to do it one at a time. Phil's weak, he's vulnerable. Take him out first and let Dolph wallow in the guilt."

"No." Jessica shook her head. Her red curls fell all over her shoulders. "We take them both out at once. A car bomb, maybe. It eliminates them both at once and leaves no evidence behind."

"How in the hell do you think that we'd get our hands on a car bomb?" Beth asked. She looked at Jessica like she was crazy. And really, it _was_ a crazy idea.

"Let's just say that I know someone that we can talk to." Jessica said with a smile. "He'll be able to hook us up no problem. That is one thing that we won't have to worry about."

Beth nodded. "What's his name?"

"His name is Del Rio."

Beth smiled. She _did_ know Del Rio. He was the boyfriend of her old sparring partner, Ricardo. However, she hadn't known that he was in this kind of business. Slowly, a small smirk formed at the very idea of it. If this could be turned to work in their favor, they would be set for life. Dolph and Phil would be taken care of, and the police department would be none the wiser…

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Please Review!


	24. AJ's Death

**Title:** Concrete Hearts

**World:** AU

**Rated:** M (Mature)

**Genre(s):** Romance/Angst

**Pair(s):** Phil/Beth, Chris/Jessica, Chris/Phil, etc.

**Summary:** Chris and Phil are both heartbroken souls looking for a connection. When they find it in each other, the whole world conspires to keep them apart.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone. I also don't own the movies mentioned. I do own my OC children.

**Warning:** Slash, Het, Mpreg, etc.

**Part:** 24/? – AJ's Death

**OOOO**

No sooner had AJ stuffed the firearm under the man's chin and the man handed over the keys to his car, did AJ hear the wail of a siren off into the distance. Momentarily, she turned her attention away from the cashier to look outside. There was already a small collection of squad cars around the station. Frustrated and beyond pissed off, she turned her attention back to the cashier. He must've made contact with them. But how?

AJ didn't even hesitate to kill him. She shot three times, once in the neck and twice in the chest. There was a small spray of crimson blood that coated the counter and her white shirt, before the man fell to the marble floor hard. It was obvious that if he wasn't already dead, the shot to the neck would cause him to bleed out fast. AJ looked at him disdainfully. His death certainly wouldn't assist her self-defense case…

Just then, officers started to file into the station. Immediately, AJ turned her firearm on them. It was obvious that each was covered in a considerable amount of Kevlar, but a Kevlar vest wouldn't defend them from a shot to the head. She slowly moved back and forth, making sure that her eyes were on most of the officers at one time. She didn't want one to try and be a hero. But then, her eyes fell on Officer Cody Rhodes.

"Cody?" She asked, stunned. "Why are you here, Cody? I know that you don't have it in you to shoot me. You couldn't even take down your girlfriend's attacker before he killed her."

It was a low blow and she knew it. Cody's hands trembled around his firearm, but he didn't fire. "AJ Lee, lower the weapon and put your hands in the air. We don't want to, but if we have to, we'll use force."

"Oh, I don't think that you will." AJ said sweetly.

Another officer, one that she didn't know personally, raised one eyebrow as he trained his weapon on her head. "AJ, why did you kill him? You could have walked away from this clean."

"No, I couldn't." AJ said honestly. "I killed my boyfriend. My hands are red with his blood."

"Is that a confession to the unsolved murder of Daniel Bryan?" The officer asked slowly.

"Take it as whatever you want it to be." AJ shrugged. "All I know is that you're supposed to protect and serve, but you never did that for me. Every time I called on you, you always told me I was a delusional child."

"AJ, we've never turned our back on you. We couldn't arrest Daniel because you refused to press charges or file a police report. We can't help those who don't want to help themselves." He said.

"You let him continue to abuse me!" AJ shrieked. "You let him hurt me and use me! That's your definition of protect and serve. Well, you know what? It's not good enough."

AJ turned to him and shot once, but that one shot was more than enough. It was an execution shot, straight through the head. He fell down among his fellow officers, dead. Three other officers shot at the same time. One bullet landed in her stomach, one in her chest, and the last bullet hit her in the head. The execution shot had been fired by Cody Rhodes, the one who had been mocked so cruelly by AJ earlier.

And when AJ fell to the marble floor, she had a sort of twisted smile on her face. Maybe that was what she had wanted from the start. She couldn't live with herself and the fact that she had killed her boyfriend, and she felt that this was the only way that she could redeem herself. It was a shame. If she had been counseled, done her time behind bars… maybe she could have been a productive member of society.

One of the officers called an ambulance. Cody walked over to her and stared down into her lifeless brown eyes. "You don't get to talk about Daylee. You don't get to talk about her after she died. Especially not when it was your asshole of a boyfriend that killed her."

An officer clapped a hand onto Cody's shoulder. He looked between Cody and AJ's body. "You know that Daniel can't hurt anyone else now, right? He's dead. And Daylee's in a better place."

"That's what I would like to believe, but it's really hard. She died because I was too weak to take that shot." Cody motioned to AJ's head. "That bullet was meant for Daniel."

"Maybe it would make you feel better if you went to visit Adam. He was her mother, after all. Maybe, if you talk to him, you'll be able to get the closure that you need."

Cody looked down at AJ. "I have my closure."

"Just, do me a favor and take this." The officer handed Cody a roll of bills. "Buy some flowers and a lunch and take it out to her grave. She would always love it when you went to visit her. I'm sure it won't be any different now."

Cody looked down at the money. "It will be a lot different. Daylee is dead and it's my fault. You can tell me that she wouldn't blame me, fine. But we'll never know for sure, will we?"

"You may find the answers that you want where you least expect them." He offered.

Cody closed his hand around the money. "Fine. I'll try… for her."

**OOOO**

**A/N:** Just a short little chapter. I hope that you all enjoyed. More to come soon!


	25. Hatred is a Vice

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone.  
**Rated:** M  
**Warning(s):** Slash, Violence, etc.

* * *

It was half an hour later that Dolph and Phil found themselves back at Dolph's house, crowded in his tiny first-floor bathroom. Phil narrowed his eyes at the other man. At this point, he didn't care if it was AJ or Dolph that was the mastermind behind all of this… he was certain that all of them were out of their minds. Phil shook his head and went back to his task. He really didn't want to be in a secluded room with the man that had shot him.

Phil squeezed the bottle of arnica until a healthy amount came out onto his hand and he rubbed it onto the bruise. Even with the bullet-proof vest on, the shot had hurt like hell and he was worried about the health of his baby. Once the entire bruise was covered, he screwed the lid back onto the tube and washed his hands. The harsh smell of the ointment was still stuck on his hands and it made him flinch.

And then, he turned on Dolph. The look of utter seriousness on his face made Dolph flinch. He really should have expected what came next. But as he staggered back, frantically holding his stinging cheek, he still felt wave after wave of shock overtake him. Had Phil _really_ hit him? That little bastard! But by the time this whole loop went through his mind, Phil had walked out of the bathroom and slammed the door behind him.

"Phil? Phillip Jack Brooks!" Dolph called after him like an irritated mother. Phil twitched at the motion of his full name. "You can't just think that you can _hit_ me and then walk away."

"Actually, I can. In case you don't remember, you fucking _shot_ me. I think that that trumps a little slap to the face, don't you?" Phil batted his eyelashes innocently, before he rolled his eyes.

"Look, I'm sorry that I shot you. It was what I had to do! But I knew that you were anal and would have your Kevlar vest on. I wouldn't have shot you otherwise, I swear!" Dolph exclaimed.

Phil narrowed his eyes at him. "And what if I didn't? What if I didn't have my vest on?"

"I would have had to take that chance." Dolph said, his eyes lowered to the floor.

"You don't understand it, do you fucker?" Phil asked, irritated. "I'm fucking pregnant. You shot me in the stomach. You could have killed my unborn baby."

Dolph's head shot up and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "What?"

Phil just shook his head and started to pace. He wasn't in the mood to describe his complicated relationship with Chris, but at the same time, he knew that that was the only way that he could back up his statement about the baby. But really, it wasn't anyone's business but his own! Okay, maybe it was Chris' business too… but he had always tried to keep his personal life out of work. Well, that had been shot to hell. Literally.

Phil stopped pacing and came to stand directly in front of Dolph. Slowly, he allowed all of the stress and tension to wash out of his body. It wouldn't do for him to take it out on Dolph. It really wasn't fair for the blond to take on all of the problems that Phil had in his life. But still, this man… his _partner,_ no less… had fucking _shot_ him! That took all of the trust that they had built over the years and threw it back in his face.

"When I was with Fozzy on security detail, I may have had a small fling with Chris Irvine. I thought it didn't mean anything, I really did. But now I miss him and I don't know what to do." Phil confessed softly.

Dolph's eyes widened even more, if that was at all possible. "So, that's _Chris Irvine's_ baby?"

"Yeah." Phil nodded. But then, an insulted look took over. "How many other men do you think that I've slept with?"

"No. I didn't mean it like that. It's just… you must really love him." Dolph said.

"I don't know if that is necessarily true. I said that I _miss_ him. It's probably just the overflow of hormones, that's all. Don't just jump to insane conclusions… idiot." Phil added for good measure.

"You can call me whatever you want, but I know the truth. I don't hear you saying how much you miss Beth, do I? And she's supposedly your girlfriend." _She's also trying to kill you_, he added silently.

"I knew that you wouldn't understand. Just don't take anymore unnecessary shots and we'll be fine." But they really weren't 'fine'. They were far from it.

An uncomfortable silence came over them. Dolph took the chance to explain to Phil about how AJ had come back into their lives. He told him how she had crashed into his car and had shot him in the shoulder before she handcuffed him and threw him into the back of her own car. That was when Phil noticed the bloody swatch on Dolph's shoulder with a frustrated frown. He took Dolph by the good arm and threw him down into the nearest chair.

"What the hell am I going to do with you, Dolph? You could have fucking bled out while you were driving! What good would you have done me then?" Phil hissed viciously.

"Well, I'm sorry that I was a little busy saving your ungrateful ass." Dolph rolled his eyes. "You're gonna stitch me up, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question. Phil nodded absently. "I better shut up then."

"If you want this to be as painless as possible," Phil started and watched as Dolph nodded, "then, yes. Shut your trap." And Phil started to work.

Phil sterilized Dolph's shoulder to make sure that there wasn't any infection, before he sterilized the needle and started to work. The bullet hadn't actually become lodged into his shoulder, it had only nicked it. But with no form of sedative of anesthesia whatsoever, Dolph was about ready to take Phil by the hair and throw him across the room. But he refrained. No matter how much it hurt, Phil could make it hurt worse. That was a guarantee.

Just as Phil was finishing up, Dolph's phone started to ring. With his good arm, Dolph reached out for the phone and answered it. It was Cody, his temporary partner until Phil came back to the force. Cody hesitated for a moment before he started to speak. That could only mean a few things. After all, Cody was always one to tell it like it was. He only hesitated when someone died…

_"I just wanted to tell you that AJ has been pronounced dead. She was shot down at the gas station." _Cody said. _"And one of our best officers was pronounced dead at the scene. He was shot in the head execution-style."_

"Okay." Dolph said. "We'll be down in few minutes to file a police report."

Phil looked at him oddly. He pulled the needle so that the string was tight in Dolph's wound. He bit the end to cut it and dabbed it with the sterile liquid on the rag. "Who was that?"

"That was Cody. He said that AJ is dead."

* * *

Chris closed his eyes as he carried two of his three children into the hotel room. Well, technically he carried all three of them. His little boy was wrapped around his leg, so he had to walk a little awkwardly. With both of his babies in his arms, he must've looked a little odd to anyone who passed him by. He entered into the hotel room and shut the door behind him. That's when his little boy unraveled from around his leg and plopped down on the floor.

"I want Phil!" He pouted. He crossed his little arms over his chest and narrowed his eyes at his Daddy. "Why did you take Phil away from us?"

Chris shook his head. He knew that his kids had become attached to Phil, but he hadn't known that it was to this extent. "I didn't take him away, baby. He just had to take a little… vacation. That's all."

"So he'll come back?" His little boy asked. He batted his lashes at Chris imploringly.

"I don't know, baby. I hope that he does. But that is his decision to make. You and I… we can't make it for him." Chris told him honestly. _Even if we want him back, we can't force him into a corner_. He added silently.

He tucked all of his children into bed and waited by the window. He held his phone close, just in case he would hear from Phil. No call came. Maybe this was really the end. Maybe fate didn't want them to be together. But Chris refused to believe that. He loved Phil too much, and he was certain that this was love, to let him slip out of his hands. He would just have to wait until Phil was ready to admit that he loved him too…


	26. The Race Toward Death

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone.  
**Rated:** M  
**Warning(s):** Slash, Mpreg, etc.

* * *

Dolph and Phil arrived down at the station about an hour later. Phil had had to drive because Dolph was still in shock from the harsh way that Phil had stitched his wound. Immediately upon their arrival, Sheamus took them both back into his office. He had that serious look on his face, the same look that he had had when he talked to Phil about the pictures, and it made Phil oddly uncomfortable. It made him feel like he was somewhat at fault for all of this.

Both men sat down across from Sheamus' desk. The red-haired Irish officer stalked back and forth for a few minutes, a look of total menace on his face. Dolph swallowed hard and tried to shrink back into his chair and make himself invisible, but that didn't work out too well. Instead, it only earned a harsh scowl from Sheamus. Finally, Sheamus took a seat and took out the file on his desk. It was labeled 'April Jeanette Lee'.

"AJ Lee had no criminal record until her boyfriend was discovered murdered in their apartment in New Jersey. We had believed that she was either an accessory or a witness, but that wasn't the case. She was the murderer."

Phil's eyes widened. "Man… I knew that that chick was crazy, but to _murder_ her boyfriend? That has to be an entirely new level of psychotic. Even for her."

Sheamus continued with, "We believe that he may have been abusive to her. Or, at least, that is what she confessed to Officer Runnells minutes before she was shot down."

Dolph turned to Phil. "Wasn't she with that dumbass Bryan kid? I think his first name was Daniel…"

"Daniel Bryan?" Phil muttered to himself. That name _did_ sound familiar. And then it all came back to him. "Wow. I don't blame her one bit for what she did."

Daniel Bryan was the one that had AJ convinced that he was her one and only. He had even talked her into dumping Phil, only so that he could push the ravenette down the stairs and sideline him from the wrestling team that year. Yes, Phil had his own personal sore spot for the likes of Daniel Bryan. And he hated him even more now that Sheamus revealed that he had abused AJ. No woman deserved to be abused, verbally _or_ physically.

"But what I'm interested in is her connection to _you_, Phil? Why did she suddenly come out of the woodwork with a plot to kidnap you and, if it came to it, murder you?" Sheamus asked.

Phil shook his head. "I honestly don't know. We dated in high school for awhile, but that was about it. She dumped me for Daniel Bryan. I see that she chose a real winner."

Sheamus didn't seem convinced, but he turned his attention to Dolph nonetheless. "Dolph?"

Dolph perked up at the sound of his name. "Yes, sir?"

"Tell me about your encounter with AJ? Was she violent?" Sheamus asked.

"Yes. She initiated a head-on collision with me as I pulled out of my driveway on my way to work. Once I was out of the car, I asked for her insurance information. She went to retrieve it and came back with a gun." He explained.

"What happened then?" Sheamus continued to press for information.

"That's when Cody arrived. He threatened to shoot her but before he had the chance, she shot me in the shoulder and cuffed my hands behind my back. She threw me into the car and shot at Cody a few times before she left."

Sheamus wrote all of this information down, careful to not miss any of the details. He seemed to be incredibly disturbed by the words that he was hearing, but it seemed that nobody was as disturbed by this entire situation as Phil was. Even if he didn't like her anymore, he used to date AJ and he could admit that he still felt _something_ for her. And even after all that she had done, she didn't deserve to meet her death that way.

Just at that moment, Phil's stomach turned. All of the color drained out of his face as he tried to hold back the need to vomit. It didn't work. Quickly, he excused himself from the table and rushed off toward the nearest bathroom. Sheamus shot an uncertain look at Dolph, who cracked under the pressure. He wore a guilty look on his face and frantically tried to avert his eyes. Sheamus didn't push the matter.

"What did AJ want from Phil?"

"She wanted him to be her knight in shining armor, her prince. She wanted him to come and save her from Daniel and the murder charges, I guess. But Phil had his own life to worry about." Dolph explained.

"Did you have to shoot anyone?" Dolph looked away, the guilty look on his face as incriminating as ever. "Dolph, I need a 'yes' or 'no' answer from you. Now is _not_ the time to fool around!"

Dolph swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes. I did have to shoot someone."

"Who?" Sheamus asked.

"I shot Phil in the stomach. He had his bullet-proof vest on, so he wasn't hurt too badly. He has a nasty bruise on his stomach, but that will fade with time." He said confidently.

"So you shot your partner to defend your partner? Fella, that has to be the stupidest thing that I have ever heard!" But then Sheamus' features softened. "But it worked. Good job, Dolph. You really pulled through this time."

Dolph stared at his boss in wide-eyed shock. "Thank you, boss."

Sheamus dismissed Dolph and Phil, so Dolph rose out of his chair and saluted the captain. Then, he walked out and searched for Phil. He had promised that he would drive Phil back to Hunter and Mark's house, since Phil's apartment wasn't safe anymore. Also, per his partner's request, he had told Selene and Mike to take a vacation with whatever money was left in Phil's bank account. They were now safely in Hawaii.

* * *

Beth and Jessica hovered around Dolph's patrol car. Their dirty deed was done. The car bomb underneath the driver and passenger seats was set to detonate when one of them made to get out of the car. And, if they _did_ somehow find out about the bomb, there was a thirty minute timer set on it just-in-case. Beth looked at Jessica with pride. She didn't think that the smaller woman could do it, but she did. Now, all they had to do was wait.

"Do you think that this will work?" Jessica asked. "I mean, if it doesn't, couldn't they track the prints on the bombs back to us. Or worse, the bomb back to the bomb maker?"

Beth shook her head. "Trust me, it _will_ work. I've known Alberto for many, many years. He doesn't use the cheap shit when he makes his explosives. You could blow into the side of a mountain with this stuff."

"But wouldn't that be messy? That could lead to a lot more deaths than we want." Jessica pointed out.

"Think of it this way, Jess." Beth slung an arm over her shoulders. "It'll wipe out any possible witnesses."

"That's true." Jessica nodded, still unsure. "But I don't know if I trust Del Rio. Wasn't he busted by the cops a few months ago for illegal possession of high-grade explosives?"

Beth frowned. "When is possession of high-grade explosives _legal_?"

"Touché."

Both women fell silent as they watched Phil and Dolph exit the police station. Dolph had a worried look on his face as the older man clutched his stomach and rubbed it harshly. He looked to be a few shades paler than usual. The women exchanged a look, before they shrugged it off and rushed off to hide behind another row of cars. Dolph and Phil never saw them and continued on toward their fate.

* * *

Dolph opened the door for Phil, who only muttered softly in protest as he climbed in and made himself comfortable. He leaned back and closed his eyes, welcoming the blast of cold air as Dolph climbed in and started the engine, turning the air conditioner onto full blast. Neither noticed the soft, subtle tick of a clock underneath them, starting the countdown from thirty minutes on. The race toward death had begun.

"You ready to head back to Mark and Hunter's, kid?" Dolph asked. Phil didn't even comment about the bothersome nickname. He only nodded and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.


	27. The End is Near

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone.  
**Rated:** M  
**Warning(s):** Slash, Mpreg, etc.

* * *

The loud honk of a horn broke the uncomfortable silence that had settled around Jessica and Beth ever since the bomb had been planted. With a startled look between them, both realized that the car that they had hidden behind was a police cruiser… an _occupied_ police cruiser. Muffled curses flowed between them and both tried to escape, but it was much too late for that. Slowly, deliberately, the door to the driver's side of the cruiser opened.

Out came two officers, Cody Runnells and Layla. Both had their weapons drawn. They had observed the entire scene from the moment that Beth and Jessica came onto the premises. To be totally honest, they hadn't expected it to be this easy. For two seasoned killers and criminal masterminds, they were rather… _dumb_. Cody started to tell them their rights as Layla cuffed them. There was nowhere for them to run, so why should they try?

But how did it happen exactly? A tip had come in from Alberto Del Rio that he had sold Jessica Irvine and Beth Phoenix a 'bomb' to be used in the double murder of Dolph Ziggler and Phil Brooks. Really, all it was was a leech on the car's battery. It would drain the battery in half an hour and kill the car, not the inhabitants. He told them that Beth and Jessica planned to plant in that day, so Cody and Layla had hid in the back of their cruiser and waited…

"This isn't fair!" Beth fussed. She kicked and scratched, but all of it was rather useless with her hands cuffed behind her back. "We didn't do anything wrong? Why the hell would you try to arrest us?"

Layla smirked. "Try, honey? I don't see anyone 'trying' to arrest someone. I see Cody and I successfully arresting you and putting you behind bars for the rest of your pretty little lives."

"Or, at least, until you're not so pretty anymore." Cody continued.

"You see, we _know_ what you did to the Police Commissioner in Ohio, Jessica. And Beth, we know that you were the one who plotted to kill Alicia Fox and requested the services of Dolph Ziggler as your personal hit man." Layla said.

"You have the wrong people! We didn't kill anybody!" Jessica insisted. Her eyes were wide and filled with terror.

"Don't lie, sweetie. It's extremely unbecoming." Layla told her with a faux smile.

"It's not a lie! I'm _not_ Jessica Irvine. I would never kill anyone. I have three children and a loving husband. Why would I leave that all behind?" Jessica asked tearfully.

"I don't know. But if you're so insistent that you're _not_ Jessica, why don't you let us take a DNA sample to be sure?" Layla asked. Jessica's eyes widened. "I didn't think so."

Layla took hold of Jessica's handcuffs and Cody took hold of Beth's, and both were led back to the station. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as they were brought in. Everyone was well aware of the havoc that these two women created and it made everyone more than a little uneasy. They continued to move until they were back in the areas with the holding cells. Jessica and Beth were booked in under an hour.

They continued to curse and scream at the two officers from behind the bars. They couldn't believe that they had been caught so easily, but they had fallen into a false sense of comfort and believed that they really could get away with murder. But then, Layla turned to the officer who was in charge. She batted her eyelashes at him sweetly and told him in the most indiscreet manner that she could:

"I want you to call Judge McMahon and let him know that Jessica Irvine has been brought in on murder charges. I would like to see what _that_ does to her chances of ever laying a hand on those children again." Layla said.

"Of course, Layla. I will get right on that." And he did. He took the nearest phone and dialed the number for the county courthouse. Layla turned to Jessica with a smile.

"You see, when you murder someone, you don't just get to walk away with your hands still stained with their blood. You have to pay the price. When you plot to murder someone, we'll be there to make sure that it will never be executed. You lose, Jessica. Do you understand me?" Layla sneered.

"We didn't lose anything!" Beth was the one who finally answered. "You're the one who is about to lose a cop! When that bomb goes off underneath Dolph and Phil's car…"

"Was that a confession?" Layla raised one eyebrow, before she turned to Cody.

"I think that it was." Cody confirmed.

"Plotting to murder someone is an offense that can be charged with twenty years to life. However, executing it is fifty to life. And murder… well, that's a capital offense. You could both _die_." Layla said.

"But not before Phil does." Beth said with a smile.

"Oh, about that…" Cody trailed off. He looked at Layla, who nodded. "Phil won't be going anywhere anytime soon. You see, that 'bomb' that Alberto made for you… it isn't a bomb at all. It's a leech."

"He told us everything." Layla continued. "You better hope that Judge McMahon is in a lenient mood."

Both women were stunned into silence. They couldn't believe that their plan had unraveled so quickly. It didn't make sense. Alberto was such a reliable man; he had never caved on someone before. Why would he do this to them? Did he want them to be sent to jail for the rest of their lives? Beth shook her head as she leaned on the wall and slowly slid down, and Jessica sobbed silently in her own cell across the way.

Jessica would lose her children, Beth would lose her chance at the Olympics, and both could lose their lives.


	28. How To Save A Life

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone.  
**Rated:** M  
**Warning(s):** Slash, Mpreg, etc.

* * *

Phil and Dolph had made it halfway back to Hunter and Mark's before the car sputtered and slowly came to a stop. Dolph, confused, twisted the key back and forth a few times, before he climbed out of the car and looked under the hood. It all seemed to be in order. With a frown on his face, he scratched the back of his head in wonder. Cars honked their horns at him obnoxiously, as if it was his fault that his car had died in the middle of the road.

He closed the hood, still bewildered by his odd situation. His car had just been inspected less than a month earlier. He had even purchased a new battery. So, then, what would make the car just _die_ like that? Dolph bit down on the inside of his mouth as he walked around to his door and tried the key one last time. It still didn't work. Frustration washed over him in waves as he slammed his fist down onto the wheel.

"Phil, I need you to call AAA. I think that the battery died and I really don't want a ticket for obstruction of traffic." Dolph told his partner, who took out his phone and dialed the number for the repair service.

He talked with a representative for a few minutes, before he thanked them and ended the call. "No luck. They said that, since we're on the highway, the fastest that they'll be able to reach us is an hour to an hour and a half."

"Shit!" Dolph started to curse fluently. "Fine, then. At least they know about our issue. Why don't you call Mark and Hunter and make sure that they know that you're okay?"

"Because Mark will kill you." Phil answered matter-of-factly.

"Why would he kill me?" Dolph sounded a little scared at the idea.

Phil pretended to think for a minute. "Oh, I don't know. What about the fact that you shot me in their home? Or the fact that you brought a gun into their home at all, with Hunter being so many months pregnant?"

"I see your point." Dolph said slowly. "I still want you to call them, though."

Phil shrugged. "Whatever. It's your funeral."

Phil climbed out of the car and slammed the door closed behind him. It unsettled Dolph how easily Phil could talk about his death, like it would be just a normal, everyday occurrence. It had taken him several years on the force before he earned respect from Phil. And now, he was worried that he had blown all of that to hell the minute that he put a gun to Phil's stomach and pulled the trigger.

While Phil was on the phone with Mark, Dolph decided that he needed to call Sheamus and let him know what happened. It was a cruiser, after all, and Sheamus would throw a fit if he didn't tell him that there had been some form of accident with the car. He waited a few minutes before Sheamus answered, and when he did, there seemed to be a screaming match in the background.

"_What is it, fella? I'm a little busy at the moment._" Sheamus said, before he yelled at the other two people in the background in forceful Irish.

"I just wanted to let you know that the car battery died on my cruiser. I thought it was a little weird, because it was just inspected a few weeks ago." Dolph told him.

A pause. _"Listen to me carefully, Dolph. I want you to get out of the car and look at the battery. I want you to tell me if you see anything unusual, okay?"_

"Okay…" Dolph trailed off, uncertain.

Dolph climbed out of the car and took another look at the battery. There was a small, metallic box attached to the outside of the battery. It looked like it had a timer on it and that the timer had run out. When Dolph looked closer, he actually found that it was a battery leech. It had drained the battery while they were on the highway and essentially it had killed the car. Dolph frowned. Who would do that to a _police_ cruiser?

"There's a leech on the battery. It looks like it was set to start when the car started." Dolph said.

"_That confirms what we needed to know. Thank you, fella. We'll send another cruiser out there to come pick the two of you up."_ Sheamus told him. _"And as for the leech, we'll put it into evidence."_

"Evidence?" Dolph asked, confused. "Evidence for what? You don't think that this could be connected to the Jessica Irvine and Beth Phoenix case, do you?"

"_Oh, we know that there is a connection. This will prove it. You've done well, Dolph. Good job."_

* * *

"Your Honor, Jessica Irvine and Beth Phoenix are both mentally unstable. They have committed countless crimes, which include, but are not limited to, murder and assault." Jeff Hardy, the prosecutor, said.

"Yes, both of the women are mentally unstable. They should have to undergo a Psych. Eval. to see if they are even _fit_ to withstand trial." Heath, the defense lawyer, countered.

"Your Honor, both of these women fully understood what they were doing at the time they committed the crimes." Jeff said. "There are several witnesses to the fact that Ms. Irvine broke down when she received the news that Mr. Irvine had been awarded full custody of their three children."

Heath frowned. "Your Honor, any mother would break down when faced with the loss of her children. It's in their nature. I ask that both of my clients be freed until their trail in two weeks."

But Jeff's conviction was hard as steel. "Your Honor, if Ms. Phoenix and Ms. Irvine are allowed to be free, they are a guaranteed flight risk. We are lucky that we caught them this time. Do we really want to risk a second bout?"

"My clients have learned their lesson. They won't make any other mistakes." Heath said.

"They've admitted their guilt. But their guilt will not bring back Officer Kaitlin, nor will it bring back Commissioner Laureinitis. It won't bring back Alicia Fox. It won't save Officer Brooks from the torment he was forced to endure at their hands. They haven't learned their lesson. They've learned how to feel guilty."

"Is an admission of guilt not learning your lesson?" Heath countered.

"Just because you feel bad doesn't mean that you won't do it again." Jeff said. "Just because a murderer returns to the scene of the crime doesn't mean that he won't bury someone else there."

"Your Honor, I ask that both of my clients be freed until their trial."

Jeff shook his head. "It's too dangerous, Your Honor. I ask that they be held with the highest bail possible."

Vince studied both men carefully. "The bail for Ms. Phoenix and Ms. Irvine is set at $1.5 million, each. If they somehow manage to make bail and they _do_ skip town, Mr. Slater, they will face the full weight of the law."

Heath nodded. "Understood, Your Honor."

Jeff smiled. This part of the battle had been won. "Thank you, Your Honor."


	29. The Trial

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone.  
**Rated:** M  
**Warning(s):** Slash, Mpreg, etc.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

"Are you sure that you're ready for this?" Hunter asked Phil. Hunter was Phil's official lawyer, after he had insisted that he wasn't about to let Phil more than fifty feet from his side.

Phil nodded slowly and tried to look brave. "As ready as I'll ever be, I think. I just can't believe that all of this is almost over." Phil breathed in relief. "Are you sure that _you're_ ready for this? Too much stress is bad for the baby."

"Speak for yourself." Hunter motioned to Phil, who was now three months into his pregnancy. He still hadn't told Chris about the baby. "I'll be fine. Just stay relaxed and calm. Be yourself."

"I'm not too sure that the jury would like me to 'be myself'." After all, it wouldn't do well for him to curse on the stand.

Hunter rolled his eyes. "Okay, then. Be yourself, but tone it down a little bit. Can you do that?"

Phil smiled and nodded. "Yeah. I think I can handle that."

Both men walked into the court room and Phil took a seat out in the benches. He sat next to his three best friends, Adam, Jeff, and Jay, who had come for emotional support. Phil could not express how thankful he was to Jeff for the fact that Jeff had convinced Vince to set the bail at such an outstanding number. Neither woman was able to meet bail, so both of them had spent two weeks behind bars – far away from each other and in solitary confinement.

Phil didn't even notice when Chris entered the court room, followed closely behind by his own lawyer. The blond sat in the row behind him, oblivious to Phil's presence. Like Phil, he was a witness that would be called to the stand to speak about what he had seen and heard of Beth and Jessica's actions. He didn't really want to be there, however, because even if he didn't still 'love' Jessica, he loved her as a friend and she was still the mother of his children.

Jessica hadn't even tried to contest the custody decision. After all of these months of heated debate about who would have the children, she silently forfeited all rights that she had to them from behind bars. This, of course, included her right to further contest the decision in the future. Chris couldn't decide how he felt about that. On the one hand, he didn't want a murderer near his children. On the other, she _was_ the mother of his children.

Last, but not least, Jessica was led into the room. Her hands and feet were shackled as the bailiff led her to her seat. He then requested everyone in the courtroom to rise and wait for the arrival of the honorable judge, Vince McMahon. Once he arrived, everyone was seated and the first witness was sworn in. The witness was Zack Ryder, who told about Jessica's history of violence with the other band members, which included himself.

There were several character witnesses to set the ball in motion. That was when Chris was called to the stand. "Please state your name for the record."

"Christopher Keith Irvine." Chris said. He took the oath and then leaned back in his chair, ready to be bombarded with numerous questions.

"Is it true that you were married to Ms. Irvine?"

"Yes."

"And is it true that the two of you have three children, which you have been awarded sole custody of?"

Chris' eye twitched. He knew what the next question would be and he didn't like it at all. "Yes."

"Over the course of your ten year marriage to Ms. Irvine, has she ever been physically or verbally abusive to your children?" The man asked. Chris frowned at him.

"No. Jessica loved children. She could never harm one, and if you told me that she did, I wouldn't believe you. Her children were always her number one priority."

"Tell me, Mr. Irvine, had she ever been physically or verbally abusive to you?" A pregnant pause. "Is it not true that Jessica pulled a loaded pistol on you, while your children were in bed upstairs, and fired? All the while, she did not have a license to operate said pistol?"

Chris sighed. He was under oath and couldn't lie. That memory was burned into his skull and he knew that he would never be able to forget it. "Yes, that is true."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the courtroom. "That will be all."

Vince turned to Heath, Jessica's defense attorney. "It's your witness, counselor."

Heath must've realized that whatever he asked Chris would not work in his favor, because he politely said, "No further questions."

Vince looked to Chris, "You may step down, Mr. Irvine."

Chris stepped down and walked back to his seat, totally silent. He had a look of total seriousness on his face, which added to the uncomfortable amount of tension that seemed to have built in the courtroom. Some members of the jury shook their heads at Jessica in disbelief. Others had a look of uncertainty on their faces, like they didn't buy Chris' story. Jessica just kept her head tilted toward the floor, ashamed of her actions.

The next witness that was called was Alberto Del Rio. Phil had learned later on that Alberto was the one who supposedly made the 'bomb' that would end his life, when it only turned out to be a leech on the car's battery. He explained that Jessica and Beth had come to him and asked him for a car bomb in order to kill someone, but did not say who, and did not know that he was working for the police.

After Alberto came Dolph, who told the court that Jessica and Beth had come to him and asked him for his 'services' as an ex-marine sniper to 'take out' someone that was causing them some trouble. He later found out that it was his partner, Officer Phil Brooks. He went to Judge McMahon for a search warrant of their houses and discovered several unsavory items that he showed to the court. Each was some form of weapon.

Then, there was Alicia's mother. She tearfully told the court about her daughter's aspirations to go to college and to make a better life for herself. And then she explained that her daughter's body had been found at the bottom of a cliff, where she had most likely fallen to from a high height, still bound in rope and gagged with some form of rag. She had to be helped off of the stand because she was in hysterics.

The prosecution's star witness was none other than Phil Brooks. When he was called to the stand, a different kind of silence settled over the room. "Please state your name for the record."

"Phillip Jack Brooks." Phil said calmly. He did feel a little queasy, but it was most likely just nerves.

Hunter started to pace back and forth. "Tell me, Mr. Brooks, about all that Jessica has done to you. Those scratches on your neck, for example… what are they from?"

"Objection!" Heath called out. "The prosecution is leading the witness!"

Vince rapped his gavel a few times. "Overruled. Proceed."

"She hooked her nails into my neck and took out a sizeable chunk of skin." Phil said. "She also took pictures of me in a rather intimate situation and mailed them to my boss to try and have me fired."

"What else has she done?" Hunter asked.

"She threatened me with worse if I ever went near her children." Phil said.

"No further questions." Hunter said, before he walked back to his seat. Now, it was Heath's turn to cross-examine the witness. Heath studied him for a minute, before he started it.

"Tell me, Mr. Brooks. Is it true that you and Mr. Irvine entertained a relationship?" Heath asked, his voice totally steady. Phil stared at him in disbelief.

"I don't see how that is prevalent." He narrowed his eyes at him.

"Just answer the question, Mr. Brooks." Heath told him.

Phil sighed and rested a hand on his stomach, where their child was rapidly growing every day. "Yes. You could call it a relationship. I would call it more of a one-night stand type thing."

"But you were still with him." Heath clarified. Phil nodded slowly. "So, would it logically follow that Jessica was afraid that you would try and take her children from her?"

Phil shrugged. "I guess, but I never intended to do that. If I made her feel like that, then I'm sorry."

"No further questions."

The jury was released to deliberate on the matter. They had made all of their decisions within an hour. When they came back, it turned out that they had found Jessica guilty of arson, possession of a deadly weapon with intent, second degree murder, manslaughter, and first degree murder. With all of her convictions, it totaled up to two lifetimes without the chance of parole till after the first. She barely escaped the death penalty.

Court was dismissed. This was when Phil ran into Chris. His heart hammered madly in his chest as he tilted his head back and looked into Chris' sad cerulean eyes. That was when he remembered that he had called his 'relationship' (if you could even call it that) with Chris no more than a fling. However, he had told Chris that, if they were meant to be, they would meet again. Maybe this was that meeting.

"Listen, Chris, what I said in there…"

"Is that how you really feel? Was this nothing more than a fling to you?" Chris asked sadly.

"No. I… I…" Phil trailed off, before he looked down at the floor. "This is a lot more difficult than I thought that it would be. I wanted to say that I'm sorry for what I said. What I meant to say is that… I love you."

Chris' eyes widened and tears bubbled on the cool blue surface. He reached out and took hold of Phil, drawing him close into a warm hug. "I love you too, baby. You don't know how long I've waited to hear that from you."

Phil hesitated for a moment. "I have something else that I need to tell you, Chris."

Chris drew back and wiped the tears away with the back of his arm. "Anything, Philly. You can tell me anything."

Phil took Chris' hand and placed it on his stomach. "I'm pregnant with your baby. I found out three months ago, but I didn't know how to tell you until now. Are you mad?"

Chris was silent for a minute and Phil feared the worst. But then, Chris scooped Phil into his arms and started to spin him around, laughing all the while. "Mad? Mad? Why would I be mad? This is wonderful!"

Phil blinked, stunned speechless. And, to make matters worse, a little nauseous from all the spinning. "What?"

"That gives me a reason to do what I've wanted to do since before you left three months ago." Chris told him.

And, outside of the courthouse where his ex-wife was sentenced to two lifetimes behind bars, Chris got down on one knee and took out a ring. It was a little awkward, but what part of his life _wasn't_? He opened the box and the ring shimmered in the light of the Chicago sun. He smiled and it was almost as radiant as the diamond band, and Phil couldn't help but smile in return.

"Phil, I know we haven't know each other for very long, but I love you and I want to be with you and help you to raise this baby. I also want you to be there for my children, because they need you. We all need you."

Phil, shocked speechless, could do little more than nod. "Yes! Yes, I'll marry you."

* * *

Later on, Beth was not as lucky with her sentence. Beth was deemed unfit to stand trial and was committed to a mental institution to undergo further evaluation…


	30. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anyone, other than CJ.  
**Rated:** M  
**Warning(s):** Slash, Past Mpreg, etc.

* * *

**One Year Later**

Phil and Chris had just returned home to Chicago from Fozzy's tour of Europe. Phil's sister, Selene, had been more than happy to take the children for them while they traveled. Phil had never been more thankful to be home. He sat down on the couch and held his three-month-old son, Christopher Jackson, close to his chest. The little baby suckled on his binky and watched him with his wide, olive eyes.

Ash walked over to his new step-father and climbed onto the couch next to him. He stared down at his little brother, who studied him with curious eyes. Ash and CJ hadn't really interacted all that often, so CJ wasn't all that used to his older brother. He looked at him uncertainly, like he wasn't exactly sure what he was. Phil smirked and shifted CJ around so that the baby was facing Ash.

"Do you want to hold him, Ash?" Phil asked seriously. The baby cooed around his binky and flailed his little arms in a pinwheel-like manner. It was actually kind of adorable.

"Can I?" Ash's eyes widened and he looked at the baby with a new sense of curiosity. Phil nodded and shifted Ash a little bit so that he was further back on the couch.

"You have to be careful with his head, okay? Now, he's a little heavy… there, isn't that easy?" Phil asked as he shifted Ash around a little bit so that he could hold the baby correctly.

"He's all squishy." Ash said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but that's because he's a baby. He'll be different when he is older."

Chris came into the room with two mugs of hot chocolate, one for his new husband and the other for his son. When he saw Ash cradling his baby brother in his arms, he set all of the cups down onto the coffee table and ran off to find the camera. Once he found it, he snapped a few quick pictures of the scene in front of him. When he put the camera away, Ash stuck his tongue out at him and frowned.

Phil ruffled his hair and kissed the blond crown, before he rose off of the couch and snatched the camera from Chris. He found the picture that he wanted and walked over to Ash, and when the little boy saw it, he chuckled. When Chris came around and tried to see what was on the screen, Phil would quickly change to a video of Ash's school play. Chris frowned, unimpressed by their antics.

"That's so not fair." Chris crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. "I wanna know what the picture is about. Please, Philly? Pretty please?"

Phil rolled his eyes. "Would you like a little bit of dinner with your whine? Seriously, Chris, we're supposed to teach the children to be able to tolerate situations, not whine about them."

"Fine." Chris sniffled, obviously insulted by Phil's comments. "I want to know what that picture was, please. I'm not begging… no, I'm demanding. I must know what that picture is of."

"Do you think that we should show him the picture?" Phil asked Ash.

Ash shook his head. "No. I don't think that we should."

Chris wore a look of mock hurt. "I can't believe you, you little traitor! You should be taking my side! After all, who sneaks you ice cream for a midnight snack instead of those yucky fruit bars?"

It was Phil's turn to look insulted. "Um, excuse me, but those fruit bars are a healthy alternative to all of the _crap_ that is found in ice cream, thank you very much."

"What was that?" Chris put a hand to his ear. "I didn't hear a word that you said after 'um'. Now, Ash, you love your Daddy, don't you? You don't want to keep a secret from him, do you?"

"I think we've tortured him enough." Ash said with a smile.

"You get a sick sense of satisfaction out of torturing your old dad, don't you?" Chris asked melodramatically.

"Pull some pants on, Christabel." Phil ordered. Ash laughed. He always liked it when his Daddy Phil would call his Daddy Chris 'Christabel'. It made Chris blush and start to curse violently, which was uncharacteristically funny.

Phil walked over to him, camera in hand, and showed him the picture. It was a picture of Chris in a bubble bath (which thankfully hid all of his intimate parts), with various candles all around him, and several rock 'n roll ducks floating along in the water. Chris blushed almost as violently as he had when Phil called him Christabel. He couldn't believe that Phil would take a picture of him in his most private of moments! And then, show it to his son…

Chris looked to Ash, who was too preoccupied holding his little brother to notice much else. The scene was just too cute for words and Chris was momentarily distracted from thinking of all of the ways that he would murder Phil. That was, of course, until Phil started to count all of the people that he would have to send the picture too once it was developed. And then, to hell with that, what was the internet for? He could send it to them now!

Chris, mortified, reached for the camera and snatched it out of Phil's hand. Phil pouted as Chris quickly deleted the revealing shots. The last thing that he needed was for the picture to be leaked to the press. The heat that he would receive would never end! But then, that pout turned into a sinister smile. Phil reached into his pocket and pulled out already developed photos. Chris snatched the one of him in the bathtub out of his hand.

Once that was done, Chris sighed. "Is there anything else that I should know about?"

Phil smiled and stuck his newly pierced tongue out at Chris. "I made doubles."

Phil ran for the hills, Chris hot on his tail. Yes, their family may not be totally perfect… but the love that they had for each other was worth every bump they encountered along the way.


End file.
